H2H: Aryna Sabalenka vs. Elise Mertens - Prediction (25.10.2019)

Preview and players comparison.

Before their doubles partnership, they clashed against each other three times in the singles court in the 2018 season. Mertens won the final of Lugano, 7-5, 6-2, and third round of Montreal, 2-6, 7-6, 6-0 (saved a match point), while Sabalenka prevailed on Eastbourne’s grass, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 in two hours and 40 minutes. The pair have been year-long doubles partners. They have played eleven tournaments together, going on to win titles at the US Open, Indian Wells, and Miami, finish runner-up at Wuhan, and posted three other second-week showings at Grand Slams. They have qualified for next week’s WTA Finals as the Race Leaders.

Aryna Sabalenka got off to a fine start in her second WTA Elite Trophy campaign, beating Maria Sakkari, 6-3, 6-4, and avenging this August’s Cincinnati loss. The Greek, who was playing just her second tournament since the US Open, created five breakpoints in 79 minutes but could not convert any of them. Last year, Sabalenka landed in Zhuhai after winning her first two career titles, at New Haven and Wuhan. She couldn’t book a semifinal berth with a 1-1 round-robin display. The Belarusian returns with two more titles to name, both in China: Shenzhen in January and Wuhan last month, beating Riske in each final.

Elise Mertens needed three sets to eliminate Maria Sakkari from the tournament, prevailing 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. She had lost both of the pair’s previous two tour-level meetings, including during her title defense campaign in Rabat in May. The Belgian managed to put just 55% of her first serves in and was broken four times. Mertens also played in Zhuhai in 2018 as part of her breakout season. She went 1-1 in group matches and failed to reach the semifinals, defeating Kontaveit and losing to Goerges. The world no. 18 bids just her third semifinal of the season, following Doha — where she won her only Premier title — and Osaka.