Elise Mertens has made an incredible start to 2018, but it’ll be another serious examination when she takes on world No.2 Caroline Wozniacki in the Australian Open semi-finals. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 2pm (AEDT).
Mertens missed the first grand slam of the year in 2017 and went on to rise through the world rankings to the point where she only just missed a seeding this time around.
It’s been a dramatic 12 months for the Belgian and her power game has served her well in Melbourne so far.
While she lost her first match of the season at the Hopman Cup to the in-form Angelique Kerber (who plays Simona Halep in the other semi-final), she hasn’t lost a match since, cruising through the Hopman Cup, Hobart International and now the Australian Open.
In 11 matches, she has lost just four sets of tennis and even more impressively, hasn’t lost a single set in Melbourne.
The two standout victories at this point are those against Australian Daria Gavrilova and more recently, world No.4 Elina Svitolina.
The second-round clash against Gavrilova at one point looked like it would be the end for Mertens. She found herself down 5-0 in the opening set and under all sorts of pressure, but won seven straight games to take the first set and win the second 6-3.
It was an entirely more convincing performance against Svitolina. Mertens dismantled her opponent, picking up a 6-4, 6-0 victory, racing away with the second set.
Wozniacki hasn’t exactly been in poor form either. Her only loss of the year so far came in the final of the ASB Classic in Auckland as she fell to world No.12 Julia Goerges.
In her nine other victories, she has dropped just three sets with two of those coming at the Open. In saying that, the set she lost to Carla Suarez Navarro in the quarter-final was in a tie-breaker, with the Dane dropping just two games in the other two sets.
Her form is impeccable and on court, there is nothing to fault her on. It’s going to make this an incredibly tough match-up for Mertens.
The pair have played once previously, late last year on clay, with Wozniacki winning in three sets. The winner of this match will play either Angelique Kerber or Simona Halep in the final.
Prediction
It’s hard to split the pair based on form, but the occasion and experience gap might be too much for Mertens to overcome here.
Wozniacki in three sets.
Be sure to join The Roar for live scores and coverage of the first women’s semi-final at the Australian Open from 2pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment below.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me this afternoon on The Roar for our live coverage of the 2018 Australian Open semi-finals as Caroline Wozniacki booked a spot in the final against Elise Mertens. Hopefully you enjoyed the call. It's time now for the second semi-final. This should be a cracker with Angelique Kerber to take on Simona Halep. Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thoughts on the match Roarers?
Scott Pryde
Expert
GAME, SET, MATCH, CAROLINE WOZNIACKI Wozniacki is the first women through to the Australian Open final for 2018. She played that last point superbly and Mertens puts a ball into the net. Mertens just made too many unforced errors, but full credit to Wozniacki. She was right up against it at the end of the second set there, saving a couple of set points after struggling to close the match out. She got it to the second-set tie breaker though and came back for the win. Elise Mertens 3 6 Caroline Wozniacki 6 7
Scott Pryde
Expert
Four match points from Wozniacki! Too good. She returned serve well, got on top of the point and then smoked the backhand away for the winner. Mertens 3 6 - 2 Wozniacki 6 6 - 6
Scott Pryde
Expert
Fault, then a wide kick serve returned long on the forehand. Mertens tried to go up the line, but she pulled the trigger too early there. Mertens 3 6 - 2 Wozniacki 6 6 - 5
Scott Pryde
Expert
Fantastic work from Mertens to get the serve back in, but she can't keep it alive there, a short ball returned into the net. Mertens 3 6 - 2 Wozniacki 6 6 - 4
Scott Pryde
Expert
Wide serve, short, lobbed return and Mertens charges forward, running around it and putting the forehand away on a short angle. Mertens 3 6 - 2 Wozniacki 6 6 - 3
Scott Pryde
Expert
Fault from Mertens. Stack of pressure on here. The second is decent and it takes a perfect forehand to put it away. Mertens 3 6 - 1 Wozniacki 6 6 - 3
Scott Pryde
Expert
Great wide serve. That's unreturnable and Wozniacki consolidates the mini break here. Mertens 3 6 - 0 Wozniacki 6 6 - 3
Scott Pryde
Expert
Good defence from Mertens, but after she got back into the point, a forehand goes wide this time. Mertens 3 6 - 0 Wozniacki 6 6 - 2
Scott Pryde
Expert
Mertens to serve first in the tie breaker. She starts with a fault, then goes at the body. It's returned with a backhand, then Mertens puts a forehand into the net on the run. Wozniacki has the mini break. Mertens 3 6 - 0 Wozniacki 6 6 - 1
Scott Pryde
Expert
Finally! Wozniacki manages to hold here with a huge serve and then a big forehand to the corner after a short return of serve. TIE BREAKER Mertens 3 6 - Wozniacki 6 6 -
Scott Pryde
Expert
Serve to the forehand wing here and it's returned into the net as Mertens looked to slap it back into play. Mertens 3 6 - Wozniacki 6 5 - AD
Scott Pryde
Expert
Fault from Wozniacki. The second is returned short, then Wozniacki makes a shocking unforced error, sending the backhand long charging in. Mertens 3 6 - Wozniacki 6 5 - deuce (4)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Mertens going for everything there, peppering the corner back in behind with forehand after forehand, but she sends it long. Mertens 3 6 - Wozniacki 6 5 - AD
Scott Pryde
Expert
Fault from Wozniacki. The second is slow, short and smacked up the line. Mertens 3 6 - Wozniacki 6 5 - deuce (3)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Too good from Wozniacki. Wide sevre, forehand up the other sideline and then a volley winner at the net. Mertens 3 6 - Wozniacki 6 5 - AD
Scott Pryde
Expert
Double fault. Mertens 3 6 - Wozniacki 6 5 - deuce (2)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Great work from Wozniacki. She was driven way behind the baseline there, but managed to play a ball with plenty of loop and Mertens found the net. Mertens 3 6 - Wozniacki 6 5 - AD
Scott Pryde
Expert
Great work from Wozniacki who has freed up a little bit here. Wide serve, short return, forehand through the court and Mertens can't keep it in. Mertens 3 6 - Wozniacki 6 5 - deuce (1)