Elise Mertens beats Iga Swiatek at the China Open, winning 7-6 (7/0), 6-3 to advance to the semi-finals. The Belgian, ranked 19th, sets up a next match against China’s Zheng Qinwen, who plays as the hometown bet.
All outlets describe the win as a significant upset. Mertens had previously lost both of her two meetings with Swiatek and also reaches her third WTA 1000 semi-final. Reporting highlights that the match features nerves early and Mertens keeps control in the later stages, limiting unforced errors and maintaining consistency against a Grand Slam champion.
The coverage also frames this as a return to deeper stages: Mertens reaches the semi-finals for the first time since 2021. Across the sources, the shared focus remains on the straight-sets result’s context and how it earns Mertens a place in the tournament’s final four to face Zheng Qinwen.
