Ostapenko to face Mertens for spot in Beijing round of 16
Latvian tennis player Jelena Ostapenko will play Belgium's Elise Mertens in the second round of the Beijing WTA tournament, with the winner likely to face American Coco Gauff next.
Latvia's top-ranked tennis player, Jelena Ostapenko (world No. 32), faces Belgium's leading player Elise Mertens (No. 19, a former world No. 12) in the next round of the Beijing tournament.
The two have met only once before, seven years ago, when Ostapenko won 4:6, 6:2, 6:2. This season Ostapenko holds a 23-19 win-loss record, while Mertens stands at 31-19.
Career highlights
Ostapenko's best Grand Slam results are her 2017 French Open title and a 2018 Wimbledon semifinal appearance. Mertens reached an Australian Open semifinal in 2018. The 29-year-old Ostapenko has won nine WTA titles overall, including last April's clay-court triumph at the Stuttgart WTA 500 event. The 30-year-old Mertens has collected ten significant titles during her career.
This is Ostapenko's seventh appearance in Beijing, where her best result was a semifinal in 2017. It is also Mertens' seventh time competing there, with her best showings being two third-round finishes, in 2024 and 2026.
Path to this match
In the previous round, Ostapenko defeated Spain's Paula Badosa 7:6, 7:5, while Mertens beat American Katie Volynets 6:0, 4:6, 7:5. Temperatures during the match are expected to reach around 24 degrees Celsius.
The winner of this encounter is expected to face American Coco Gauff (world No. 4) in the round of 16.
