Mertens stops Swiatek and meets Zheng in the semifinals of the China Open in Beijing

The Belgian Elise Mertens (n.19) defeated the Polish this Friday Iga Swiatek (n.9), champion in 2023 and eighth favorite, for 7-6(0) and 6-3 and reached China Open semi-finalsafter having also eliminated the American Coco Gauff (n.4).

In one hour and 50 minutes on the hard court of the Diamond center in Beijing, Mertens left Swiatek without a single opportunity to break and broke in the tiebreaker the equality that had maintained the score during the first round.

The Pole had to save a break ball in her first turn of serve and another in the third, while the Belgian found points with the serve and responded to her attacks with changes of direction and lobs that punished her rises to the net.

Swiatek resisted until 6-6, but the tiebreaker exposed the difference. Mertens won all seven points, combining an ace, a backhand crosscourt and a lob that left the former number one unanswered. A failed right hand from the Pole put an end to the round.

The pause didn’t change the dynamic either. Mertens continued to play with precision, while Swiatek alternated winners with errors that prevented him from putting sustained pressure.

The only break of the match came in the fourth game of the second set. A parallel backhand from the Belgian helped open the way and two forehand errors from Swiatek ended up giving her the 3-1 lead. Mertens confirmed blank and did not give up the advantage.

She still had to come back from 0-30 when she served to win, but she relied on serve again and closed on her first match point, after another forehand error by the Pole.

Mertens won 87% of the first serve points and achieved his first victory against Swiatek, who had won the previous two. The result stops the Pole’s comeback in the race towards the WTA Finals.

The Belgian equals her best performance in a WTA 1000 and will seek its first final in this category against China Zheng Qinwen (n.54), Olympic champion, who defeated the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (n.7) 6-3 and 7-6(6).