Like last season, the Limbourgeoise’s journey ends in the second round: “I don’t lose points, but I don’t gain any either. So I’m a bit on the same path as last year at this time. Falling on Pegula in the second round, it’s not an easy draw. But from the moment I was not seeded, I knew that the bad luck of having a complicated first or second round existed. My goal will be to regain protected status for Roland-Garros. I’m no longer going to say that I want to be in the top 20 in singles. I’ll look at it step by step.”
gullMy ankle is still bandaged, but it was OK to play.”
Injured ankle at the start of the season and arriving in Melbourne at the last minute following her final in Hobart, Elise Mertens was not looking for excuses. “Physically I had recovered well from my first round. My ankle is still bandaged, but it was fine for playing.”
The Belgian number one’s next mission in Melbourne will be to defend her doubles title, with a new partner, the Australian Ellen Perez: “We haven’t played together yet. You will have to adapt. I will play on the left, she will play on the right. She knows how I play, I know how she plays. We have played against each other a lot, we have spoken together before. She’s a girl who communicates well, that’s always a plus. I haven’t trained in doubles yet this year but I have enough experience.”
Novak Djokovic sorry for Rafael Nadal.
Purists will also have noticed that Elise Mertens has changed rackets.
“I have a new Yonex. I think women’s tennis has evolved so much. It plays faster, stronger and less tactical. It’s a racket that is widely used on the tour and gives speed very easily. I also have a string that offers more control. For me it’s the ideal combination. I still have to adapt a bit because I’ve only been playing with this new racket since December.”
In terms of textiles, the native of Louvain moved from Lotto to the Osaka brand.
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