On Saturday, Belgium’s Elise Mertens defeated second-seeded Wimbledon Elena Rybakina in straight sets, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1.
With this win, Mertens, who wears No. 25, advances to the fourth round for the second consecutive year and third time since 2022. This is the second consecutive year at Wimbledon that Rybakina, the 2022 singles champion, has failed to make it past the third round.
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Heading into Saturday’s matchup, Rybakina held a 7-1 lifetime advantage over Mertens in single play. The last time the two faced off was in the fourth round of the Australian Open in January, where Rybakina won in straight sets, giving Mertens her sixth straight victory.
After needing a tiebreak in the first set, Mertens gave his opponent no chance to take the second set. The Belgian, who has yet to advance beyond the fourth round in her Wimbledon singles career, won a battle of break points and serve points as Rybakina struggled with unforced errors throughout the match.
Mertens will face No. 21 Marie Bouzkova on Monday.
