Mertens claims first WTA title in 17 months with victory over Li at Singapore Open

Elise Mertens, ranked 29th, secured her first WTA title in 17 months on Sunday by defeating unseeded Ann Li, aged 24, in straight sets at the Singapore Tennis Open.

Mertens had previously lost to McCartney Kessler in the final of the Hobart International last month; however, she showcased exceptional form at the Kallang Tennis Centre, successfully landing 75 percent of her first serves to dominate the match with a score of 6-1, 6-4.

Although Li had not lost a set throughout her journey to the final, she encountered difficulties with her serve at the start of the match. Mertens capitalized on this, achieving three service breaks to secure the first set in just 26 minutes.

In the second set, Li was broken again in her initial service game but managed to break Mertens for the first time shortly thereafter, beginning to find her rhythm on her own serve.

Nevertheless, while serving to remain in the match at 5-4, Li committed two unforced errors, ultimately conceding the title to Mertens after one hour and 22 minutes of play.

Mertens expressed her joy at winning her ninth career singles title on the WTA Tour, her first since the Monastir Open in Tunisia in October 2023.

"This is a wonderful title to start the year, especially after missing out on the title in Hobart three weeks ago. I was very eager to win this one," remarked the world number 32.

"I felt quite comfortable on this surface and in Singapore this week, which allowed me to harness that energy effectively."

In the doubles final, the second-seeded duo of Desirae Krawczyk from the United States and Giuliana Olmos from Mexico triumphed over the third-seeded Chinese team of Wang Xinyu and Zheng Saisai, winning 7-5, 6-0.