Elise Mertens of Belgium celebrates after winning a grass court tennis match at the 2025 Libéma Open the Netherlands. Photo: MARLEEN FOUCHIER
Wins on the WTA tennis tour don't get more gutsy than a semi-final victory for Belgian third seed Elise Mertens at Den Bosch in the Netherlands overnight.
Mertens saved 11 match points yet still overcame two-times winner Ekaterina Alexandrova 2-6 7-6(7) 6-4 to reach the Libema Open final, where she will face qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
According to the WTA Tour, that's the most match points survived in a main draw women's match this decade.
"I didn't even know it was 11, after one or two I lost count," Mertens said.
"It was a difficult match. I think she started really well, and it was 6-2, 5-3 for her. I just stayed with my head in the game and gave everything I had."
Mertens found herself 5-3 down in the second set after losing the first but battled back to force a tie-break before seeing off the Russian second seed who was aiming to win her third title having triumphed in 2022 and 2023.
Alexandrova won their only previous meeting in Den Bosch, in 2019, and has reached at least the quarter-finals of the last five editions, but Mertens now has the chance to win a second title this year, after her Singapore triumph in February.
Standing in Mertens' way will be Romanian Ruse who recovered from losing the first set to defeat Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto 2-6 6-4 6-3. Mertens has won all three previous meetings with Ruse.
The men's final will see Canada's Gabriel Diallo meeting Belgium's Zizou Bergs.
- Reuters
