Star flip Elise Mertens has come up trumps to salvage Belgium’s hopes within the Billie Jean King Cup – and she or he may now threaten Australia’s development to the semi-finals in a winner-takes-all contest in Glasgow.
Mertens needed to sprint from the WTA Finals in Texas on Sunday the place she’d gained the doubles title – nearly lacking her three-leg marathon journey within the course of – earlier than finally arriving in Scotland late on Tuesday night time.
Clearly in no state to play in Wednesday morning’s singles of their tie with Slovakia, Mertens, the world No.29, needed to watch in disappointment as Belgium’s different singles gamers, Maryna Zanevska and Ysaline Bonaventure, each misplaced their rubbers.
However with the tie already misplaced, Mertens emerged for the doubles, taking part in fantastically in a good-looking straight-sets victory for the lack of simply three video games alongside Kirsten Flipkens.
So, regardless of the general 2-1 loss to Slovakia, who’d been overwhelmed 2-1 by Australia on Tuesday, the doubles retains Belgium’s hopes alive as they meet Alicia Molik’s workforce within the decider on Thursday.
Australia will certainly qualify for Saturday’s semis in the event that they win the tie, however the Belgians will undergo in the event that they win 3-0.
If Belgium win 2-1, it is going to come all the way down to the variety of units gained and misplaced, so Australia may nonetheless probably lose and undergo.
However Belgian captain Johan van Herck stated he knew the doubles win was “our solely likelihood to remain alive” as he heaped reward on Mertens’ efforts even simply to make it to Glasgow.
“It was fairly clear that Elise to play singles was not an possibility … I feel it is already wonderful to see the extent she will get being right here, arriving yesterday night at 10:30pm on the resort, and see the perspective of what she brings on the courtroom. Fairly wonderful.”
Mertens revealed that after profitable the end-of-season WTA doubles with Veronika Kudermetova in Fort Price, she needed to rush to the airport, test in baggage with simply two minutes left after which dash for the gate to catch the primary of three flights between Madrid, London and Glasgow.
“I used to be, like, Oh, my God, I am not going to make it! We rushed. I barely showered. You smelled it yesterday night (once I arrived)!” she laughed.
Requested if she’s play in the important thing rubber towards Australian No.1 Ajla Tomljanovic on Thursday, Mertens, the highest-ranked participant within the tie, stated: “We’ve got to debate it with everybody who is able to play, who’s possibly much less able to play – however, yeah, it is undoubtedly an possibility.”
Slovakia’s Viktoria Kuzmova, who had misplaced to Tomljanovic on Tuesday, and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, who’d been overwhelmed by Australia’s different singles participant Storm Sanders, each rebounded with singles wins nevertheless it was not sufficient to maintain their workforce within the match.
Within the different early tie, Belinda Bencic beat Jasmine Paolini 7-5 6-3 and Jil Teichmann saved a match level en path to beating Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-5) as Switzerland defeated Italy.
