Key Takeaways
- Elise Mertens defeated eighth seed Iga Swiatek 7-6 (0), 6-3 in 1 hour and 50 minutes to reach her first China Open semifinal.
- The Belgian did not face a break point, won 87% of her first-serve points, and recorded the first WTA tiebreak-to-love victory against Swiatek.
- Swiatek’s defeat officially secured singles debut qualifications at the WTA Finals for Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova.
Belgian extends remarkable run against Major champions
Elise Mertens produced a dominant display on Friday night at the China Open, defeating eighth seed Iga Swiatek 7-6 (0), 6-3. The quarterfinal victory, completed in 1 hour and 50 minutes, propelled Mertens into the Beijing semifinals for the first time in her career.
The result marks Mertens’ first win against Swiatek across three tour encounters and secures her third career WTA 1000 singles semifinal, as well as her first at that level since 2021. To reach this stage, Mertens overcame three consecutive Grand Slam champions in Jelena Ostapenko, Coco Gauff and Swiatek. This run is the first time in her career that she has defeated three Major winners at the same WTA tournament, having previously beaten two on her way to the 2019 Doha title.
Mertens explained to reporters that players can build rhythm as an event unfolds, recalling that Katie Volynets had already adapted to the conditions before their second-round meeting while she needed time to adjust before facing challenging opponents like Ostapenko.
Imposing serve and tiebreak control
Mertens delivered an exceptional serving performance throughout the contest, winning 87% of her first-serve points by taking 33 of 38. She tallied 24 winners alongside 11 unforced errors and did not face a single break point during the match. Outside of Grand Slams, team events and the Olympics, she became only the second woman to avoid facing a break point against Swiatek in a WTA main-draw match, matching Coco Gauff’s feat from Madrid in 2025.
After both players held serve throughout the opening set, Mertens swept the tiebreak 7-0. With that shutout, she became the first competitor to win a tiebreak to love against Swiatek at the WTA level. Mertens carried that momentum into the second set, claiming a break for a 3-1 lead and backing it up with a hold to love. Swiatek threatened late by securing a 0-30 advantage in the final game, but Mertens rallied with four straight points to finish the match.
By defeating both Gauff and Swiatek during the tournament, Mertens became the first player since Aryna Sabalenka in 2018 to defeat two former China Open champions at the same edition. Swiatek’s elimination also confirmed WTA Finals berths in Indian Wells for debutantes Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova.
Semifinal clash against Zheng Qinwen
Mertens now moves on to face local favorite Zheng Qinwen, who advanced earlier on Friday by beating sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (8). The semifinal will be their second career meeting following a three-set clash won by Zheng in Charleston last season. Mertens noted that Zheng remains an exceptional competitor who plays at a high level despite her past injury troubles, adding that she expects a difficult challenge with the crowd behind the home player.
A victory on Saturday would send Mertens into her maiden WTA 1000 singles final, which would make her the second-oldest woman to reach a first final at that tier since 2009, behind only Flavia Pennetta in 2014. Mertens remains active on two fronts in Beijing, as she and doubles partner Diana Shnaider are scheduled to face second seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani in the doubles semifinals following her singles match.
Iga Swiatek in 2026
Ranked world no.9, Iga played her last match on the 9th of October when she capitulated to world no.19 Elise Mertens 7-6(0) 6-3 in the quarter in Beijing (draw).
At the moment, during this season the Pole has an overall 39-16 record. Iga conquered 1 title in Toronto.
