Short-Life Revival: Elimination of Wounded Mertens in Cincinnati | sports

The revival of Elise Mertens (WTA 15) was short-lived. Today I lost in the second round of the WTA Tour Championships in Cincinnati 3-6, 2-6 to Elena Rybakina (WTA 19). The storage problems that Limburger has struggled with for almost an entire season reared their heads again yesterday: she barely made 47% of the first serves and made six double-faults. After a forearm injury, the physiotherapist got off track three times, and it didn’t help her work at all.

Mertens is still playing her first of the doubles, with Su Wei Hsieh against Plenkova-Sasnovich, so hopefully the burden isn’t too bad. Our compatriot had a semi-final defense in Cincinnati and this early exit, plus the way it went, wouldn’t do much for her confidence in the USOpen. Mertens had a good start to the season, but the burden of combining singles, doubles and the heavy program seems to have taken its toll as of late.