Top seed Mertens shines as Podoroska and Cristian stumble in Tunisia

MONASTIR,Tunisia: Top-seeded Elise Mertens showcased her dominance in the first round of the Jasmin Open Tunisia on Tuesday in Monastir, Tunisia, securing a commanding victory while other higher seeds faltered. The Belgian, ranked No. 32 in the world, cruised past Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova with a resounding 6-2, 6-0 win. Mertens was clinical, converting 7 of 10 break-point opportunities and winning 69.2 percent of her first-serve points, along with 65.4 percent of her second-serve points.

However, the tournament witnessed early exits for fourth-seeded Nadia Podoroska and fifth-seeded Jacqueline Cristian. Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic mounted an impressive comeback to defeat Argentina’s Podoroska 1-6, 6-2, 6-4. In another upset, British qualifier Sonay Kartal, ranked No. 151, edged out Romania’s Cristian, ranked No. 74, in a marathon match lasting two hours and 43 minutes. Kartal’s tenacity paid off as she converted 61.5 percent of her break-point chances to secure a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory, marking her third Top 100 win of the year.

Other first-round winners included seventh-seeded Lucia Bronzetti of Italy, Jana Fett of Croatia, Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia, Ann Li of the United States, Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey, and Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine, all advancing in the tournament’s early stages.