WTA Doha: Elise Mertens comes from a set down to topple Simona Halep
The 23-year-old Elise Mertens has won the Qatar Total Open title, coming from a set and a break down against the top seed and a former world no. 1 Simona Halep to celebrate a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 13 minutes. Simona won their two matches on clay last spring, losing only six games in four sets, and she had everything in her hands today as well, highly motivated after a thrilling win over Elina Svitolina yesterday. The Romanian was 6-3, 2-0 up before Mertens erased the deficit instantly, winning the last three games of the second set and scoring three breaks in the decider to lift the biggest crown of her career.
Simona won six points more than Elise but not the most important ones, creating no less than 17 break points and converting six, struggling on the second serve big time and getting broken seven times to hand thew win to her rival. The Belgian was off to a slow start, having to play against four break points in the first game and losing serve when Simona painted a forehand down the line winner for an early lead. Mertens erased the deficit in the very next game when Halep netted a backhand but she had to chase the result after another loose service game, allowing Simona to go 2-1 up with a well-constructed attack and a forehand winner.
The Romanian lost the advantage in game six after a double fault before winning 12 points in a row to claim the set 6-3 after 34 minutes. Holding at love at the start of the second set, Simona broke again in game two to extend her streak before Mertens stopped the downfall, breaking back in game three to get back into contention. Both players wasted break points in the following four games before Elise broke at love in game nine after a forehand error from Halep, jumping into the lead and closing the set with a service winner in the game that followed to grab the set 6-4 and boost her chances in the decider.
There, Mertens clinched an early advantage before Simona made one last push, breaking back in game four when the Belgian sprayed a backhand error. That proved to be the last we saw from the Roland Garros winner in this match, suffering a break in game five and once again at 15 at 3-5 when her backhand landed wide, pushing Mertens over the finish line and staying away from the WTA title since Montreal last year.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2SBYMzc
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