What makes watching sport an exercise well worth the time you invest is getting to see someone upset all calculations predicated on form and pedigree, and walk away with the top prize.
That was exactly how things unfolded at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex Saturday as the unseeded Elise Mertens produced a stunning fightback to deny top seed Simona Halep a second Qatar Total Open title with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory in two hours and 13 minutes.
In fact, Halep’s tremendous form and amazing levels of fitness have been dominating conversations at player interviews throughout the week in Qatar, with many predicting the title was hers for the taking if she reached the final.
Elise Mertens kisses the trophy as she celebrates after her victory
In the process they forgot that Mertens was not here merely for the sake of it and grab whatever crumbs came her way. As a pro in a cut-throat world, Mertens knew a defeatist attitude can be her biggest enemy.
And she proved that she is made of sterner stuff, both physically and mentally, as she shrugged off a dispiriting first set, during which she didn’t win a single point from games seven to nine, before matching Halep stroke for stroke in the second and then raising her game a notch in the third for her first Premier-level victory and her fifth career title.
The 23-year-old Belgian also took a longish medical timeout to get treatment on her back in the second set, and that seemed to pay immediate dividends as she turned the match on its head.
“Well, my back was a little bit blocked. Of course after playing so many matches, it could happen sometimes. So I really needed the physio on court. They did a tape on my back. So that helped for me to rotate better,” said Mertens.
“After that, I didn't really want to keep my mind on my — well, on my back, not really injury, but the blocked back — so I stepped in the game again and just tried to focus on the points.”
Mertens added that she had no option but to keep fighting in the wake of Halep’s relentless purple patch in the first set when she won three straight games at love.
“Of course, I was a set and a break down. Yeah, I mean, she played well at that time. I really had to step up in the court, play better tennis than before. She was really hitting the ball pretty clear and clean.
"Yeah, I just kept on fighting. I think holding serve was a big process, especially the first set didn't really go well, but I think the positivity kept me going.”
Halep was broken in the very first game of the third set and although she broke back in the fourth, Mertens restored her advantage with another break in the fifth.
That left Halep trailing 3-5 and needing to hold her serve in the ninth game, but before long she was 15-40 down. A long forehand gave Mertens the win and the Belgian celebrated by with a few fist pumps.
Halep said fatigue got to her in the end when asked what went wrong in her 34th career finals.
“My energy, and the fact that I was really tired in the third set. I couldn't have the chance to win this match. I had to be 100 percent to be able to win such a big match,” said the Romanian, who has won close to 30 million dollars in her career so far, and will go up to World No.2 when the new rankings are issued tomorrow.
“But she deserved to win. She was stronger. She was fresher. I'm not making a drama. I'm just taking it. It's a final. After the Fed Cup, it’s is never easy to come and play a tournament. So I'm happy,” said Halep.
Halep added that she felt she was “losing” her energy over the past couple of days.
“Two days ago I felt that my level is going a little bit down because of the energy that I'm losing every match. And over these two weeks it’s is not easy to stay very high with the energy.
“But I didn't want to give up. I think it's been a great week. I will take this final, because I'm happy to play final here in Doha. To play a final is something special. It's something big. I'm really happy and proud of that."
Asked whether she would come back next year when the tournament would be moved to the third week of February to give players enough rest, she said she loved Doha so much that it doesn’t really matter.
“Even if it didn’t change, I will come. So I come every time here,” she said with a smile.
In fact, Halep’s tremendous form and amazing levels of fitness have been dominating conversations at player interviews throughout the week in Qatar, with many predicting the title was hers for the taking if she reached the final.
Elise Mertens kisses the trophy as she celebrates after her victory
In the process they forgot that Mertens was not here merely for the sake of it and grab whatever crumbs came her way. As a pro in a cut-throat world, Mertens knew a defeatist attitude can be her biggest enemy.
And she proved that she is made of sterner stuff, both physically and mentally, as she shrugged off a dispiriting first set, during which she didn’t win a single point from games seven to nine, before matching Halep stroke for stroke in the second and then raising her game a notch in the third for her first Premier-level victory and her fifth career title.
The 23-year-old Belgian also took a longish medical timeout to get treatment on her back in the second set, and that seemed to pay immediate dividends as she turned the match on its head.
“Well, my back was a little bit blocked. Of course after playing so many matches, it could happen sometimes. So I really needed the physio on court. They did a tape on my back. So that helped for me to rotate better,” said Mertens.
“After that, I didn't really want to keep my mind on my — well, on my back, not really injury, but the blocked back — so I stepped in the game again and just tried to focus on the points.”
Mertens added that she had no option but to keep fighting in the wake of Halep’s relentless purple patch in the first set when she won three straight games at love.
“Of course, I was a set and a break down. Yeah, I mean, she played well at that time. I really had to step up in the court, play better tennis than before. She was really hitting the ball pretty clear and clean.
"Yeah, I just kept on fighting. I think holding serve was a big process, especially the first set didn't really go well, but I think the positivity kept me going.”
Halep was broken in the very first game of the third set and although she broke back in the fourth, Mertens restored her advantage with another break in the fifth.
That left Halep trailing 3-5 and needing to hold her serve in the ninth game, but before long she was 15-40 down. A long forehand gave Mertens the win and the Belgian celebrated by with a few fist pumps.
Halep said fatigue got to her in the end when asked what went wrong in her 34th career finals.
“My energy, and the fact that I was really tired in the third set. I couldn't have the chance to win this match. I had to be 100 percent to be able to win such a big match,” said the Romanian, who has won close to 30 million dollars in her career so far, and will go up to World No.2 when the new rankings are issued tomorrow.
“But she deserved to win. She was stronger. She was fresher. I'm not making a drama. I'm just taking it. It's a final. After the Fed Cup, it’s is never easy to come and play a tournament. So I'm happy,” said Halep.
Halep added that she felt she was “losing” her energy over the past couple of days.
“Two days ago I felt that my level is going a little bit down because of the energy that I'm losing every match. And over these two weeks it’s is not easy to stay very high with the energy.
“But I didn't want to give up. I think it's been a great week. I will take this final, because I'm happy to play final here in Doha. To play a final is something special. It's something big. I'm really happy and proud of that."
Asked whether she would come back next year when the tournament would be moved to the third week of February to give players enough rest, she said she loved Doha so much that it doesn’t really matter.
“Even if it didn’t change, I will come. So I come every time here,” she said with a smile.
