Second-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium triumphed over No. 4 seed Wang Xinyu of the Chinese mainland with a score of 6-3, 6-4 in the women's singles semifinals at the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Singapore Open on Saturday. This victory secures Mertens a spot in the final match.
The Singapore Open marks the fourth tournament Wang has competed in this month. Demonstrating remarkable resilience, she overcame Jil Teichmann of Switzerland with a score of 6(5)-7, 7-6(4), 6-4 in a grueling three-hour quarterfinal match on Friday.
However, endurance became Wang's Achilles' heel during the semifinals. Despite leading 4-3 in the second set, she conceded three consecutive games, ultimately falling short and marking her sixth attempt to reach a WTA Tour final.
Mertens will face Ann Li of the U.S. in the final after Li advanced due to Anna Kalinskaya of Russia retiring from her semifinal match early in the second set. Li won the first set 7-6(2) and was leading 1-0 in the second set when Kalinskaya withdrew.
In doubles action, Wang paired with her compatriot Zheng Saisai to defeat Nao Hibino of Japan and Oksana Kalashnikova of Georgia with a decisive score of 6-3, 6-2 in the women's doubles semifinals. The Chinese mainland duo will compete against Desirae Krawczyk of the U.S. and Giuliana Olmos of Mexico for the doubles title, following the retirement of the British pair Maia Lumsden and Harriet Dart.
Reference(s):
Wang Xinyu loses to Elise Mertens in WTA Singapore Open semifinals
cgtn.com
