Two-time Hobart champion Elise Mertens eased past Viktoria Kuzmova 6-1 6-0 after a two-hour delay due to rain to advance to the quarter final at the Hobart International. The Belgian player, who won two consecutive editions of the Hobart tournament in 2017 and 2018, has improved his winning streak to 14-0 at this event.
Mertens broke twice in a row to win the first set 6-1 and three times to cruise to a bagel second set, but the match featured four hard-fought games which went to deuce. Kuzmova earned two break points, but Mertens saved them after three deuces in a hard-fought opening set. The former Australian Open semifinalist won 78 % of his first service points and reeled off five consecutive games to win the first set. Mertens got an early break in the first game of the second set. The Belgian broke twice in a row in the third and fifth games and held his three service games and sealed the win with a second serve on his first match point to reach her second consecutive quarter final this year one week after Shenzhen.
Mertens will face either former Hobart winner Heather Watson or Fiona Ferro in the quarter final.
“No match is easy, and the score was maybe a bit different than the game scores. There were a lot of 40-alls. I did well on the break points and on my big serving points. I had to relax my mind during the day. Sometimes the rain comes and you have to wait a bit and I think I managed that well”, said Mertens.
