Elise Mertens claimed her first WTA title in 17 months, defeating unseeded Ann Li in straight sets to win the Singapore Tennis Open.
Mertens had been defeated by McCartney Kessler in the Hobart International final last month, but the 29-year-old athlete showed her resilience at the Kallang Tennis Centre, dominating throughout the match, defeating the American 6-1, 6-4.
In a social media post, the athlete expressed her gratitude and stated: “Title number 9️⃣! 🏆 It’s been an unbelievable week 💜 & an amazing event @sgtennisopen 🥰… Really enjoyed my time in Singapore!”
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Highlights of the game
America’s Ann Li breezed to the final without dropping a set. However, she encountered problems with her serve early in the final moments of the first set. Mertens took full advantage of her opponent’s struggles, breaking Li’s serve three times to claim the first set in 26 minutes.
Li then regrouped and broke Mertens in the next set. The American began to settle into her rhythm, finding more consistency on her serve as the set progressed.
With the match at 5-4, Li’s hopes of winning faded as she made two crucial unforced errors on her service. Mertens gained an advantage and wrapped up the match after an hour and 22 minutes.
With this win, Mertens claimed her ninth singles title on the WTA Tour — and her first since winning the Jasmin Open at Monastir in Tunisia in October 2023.