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Azarenka dismantles Mertens again to reach Ostrava final four

Victoria Azarenka picked apart Elise Mertens' game at the US Open last month and repeated the treatment on Friday at the Ostrava Open.

By John Skilbeck
Victoria Azarenka

Ostrava, October 24: Victoria Azarenka moved a step closer to a second post-lockdown WTA title as she brushed aside Elise Mertens to reach the Ostrava Open semi-finals.

The Belarusian seized on four of six break-point opportunities to win 6-4 6-1, following up her victory over the same opponent at the same stage of the US Open in September.

In New York, Mertens surprisingly won only one game as Azarenka produced a performance that overwhelmed the 24-year-old, and although Friday's clash was a more close-fought affair in the first set, eventually it became a rout.

US Open 2020: Azarenka crushes Mertens to set up Serena showdownUS Open 2020: Azarenka crushes Mertens to set up Serena showdown

Azarenka said afterwards: "I feel she adjusted her game a bit from New York, so it took me a bit of time to adapt to that."

She added, on the WTA website: "Today I didn't expect the same result, but I did feel like I was really in control after I adjusted my game - I felt I made it very difficult for her to earn points."

Former world number one Azarenka finished runner-up to Naomi Osaka at the US Open but took the title at the Western and Southern Open event, also held at Flushing Meadows, in the run-up to the slam.

The WTA season only resumed in August, having been halted in March amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Greek player Maria Sakkari, who took a set off Serena Williams at the US Open, scored an impressive 3-6 6-3 6-1 victory over Tunisian Ons Jabeur and will face Azarenka next.

American Jennifer Brady, another who made her mark in New York by reaching a maiden grand slam semi-final, dug deep to see off impressive Russian qualifier Veronika Kudermetova in three sets.

Kudermetova, who beat second seed Karolina Pliskova in the second round this week, could not build on a strong start to the quarter-final tussle as she exited 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-1.

Brady will face Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday's last-four matches after she defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-0 4-6 6-0.

Story first published: Saturday, October 24, 2020, 10:16 [IST]
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