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Australian Open
Elise Mertens did not make it past the second round of the Australian Open. The last Belgian representative in the singles had to admit defeat against the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk.
Mertens (WTA 28) lost 5:7, 6:1 and 7:6 (10/6) to Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk (WTA 37) in two hours and 55 minutes. Mertens was the last Belgian individual participant in the first Grand Slam of the season. She was playing her seventh Australian Open. On her debut in 2018, she reached the semi-finals, which remains her best result at a Grand Slam tournament.
Now Mertens can fully concentrate on the doubles. She is the second seed next to Taiwanese Hsieh Su-Wei. Yanina Wickmayer and Greet Minnen will be the opponents in the first round on Thursday.
Earlier today, former number one Caroline Wozniacki, who returned last summer after a three-and-a-half year break due to the birth of her two children, was also knocked out in the second round by Russian qualifier Maria Timofeeva. The 33-year-old Dane led a set, took a break lead in the second set (2-0) and also in the third set (1-0), but Timofeeva took a final lead with six games in the deciding set. The final score was 1-6, 6-4, 6-1.
And the Tunisian Ons Jabeur, number six in the world and three-time Grand Slam finalist, also did not make it past the second round. She was eliminated by Mirra Andreeva. The Russian, ranked 47th, needed just two sets (6-0, 6-2) and less than an hour to win.
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