Mertens rolls past Paolini to defend Monastir title

Elise Mertens triumphs at Jasmin Open for the second consecutive year, showcasing her dominance in the tournament.

In the highly-anticipated final, the second-seeded Belgian effortlessly defeated the top-seeded Jasmin Paolini of Italy with a resounding score of 6-3, 6-0. This victory marks Mertens’ eighth career Hologic WTA Tour singles title and her first title since her triumph in Tunisia a year ago.

Mertens displayed exceptional prowess throughout the tournament, not dropping a single set in her second Monastir triumph. She only lost a total of 16 games in nine sets, including a remarkable comeback in her first-round match against Filipino qualifier Alexandra Eala, where she overcame a 5-1 deficit to claim the first set with a score of 7-5.

The final, which lasted for 70 minutes, showcased a reversal of fortune in the Mertens-Paolini rivalry. While Mertens emerged as the victor this time, it is worth noting that she now holds a 4-0 record against Paolini. Their previous three encounters were all fiercely contested, going to three sets each time. However, in this final, Mertens won an astounding 10 consecutive games to deny Paolini her second career title.

Paolini, on the other hand, has had a challenging streak recently, as she has now lost her last three singles finals since her breakthrough victory in Portoroz in 2021.

Nevertheless, Paolini’s time in Monastir was not completely without triumph. She, alongside her compatriot Sara Errani, secured the doubles title the day before the singles final. Their victory was nothing short of remarkable, as they rallied from a 6-2, 5-1 deficit to claim a thrilling win over Japan’s Mai Hontama and Serbia’s Natalija Stevanovic in a 2-6, 7-6(4), [10-6] triumph. This is Errani’s 28th career WTA doubles title and her first with Paolini, who now has a total of two doubles titles to her name.