Australian Open: Tournament debutante Mertens in Melbourne semi-final

The Belgian Elise Mertens continued her surprising triumphal march at the Australian Open and reached the semi-finals.

The 22-year-old Melbourne debutante prevailed over Jelena Switolina from Ukraine, who finished fourth after 1:13 hours 6:4,6:0. On Thursday Mertens will play either Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark/No. 2) or Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) for the final.

Mertens had already won the preparation tournament in Hobart/Tasmania at the beginning of January, but her only defeat so far this year was at the Hopman Cup in Perth against Angelique Kerber (Kiel). In Melbourne, Mertens is only playing her fifth Grand Slam tournament, she dropped out three times in the first round and finished third at the French Open in Paris in 2017.