Rybakina won the tournament in 2022, but there will be no repeat this year. The first set went to a tiebreak after the players broke each other’s serves in turn. In the tiebreak, the Belgian was the stronger player and won 7-4.
The second set was straightforward. Mertens broke Rybakina in the third game and then won four more straight games to secure a clear set victory.
Mertens, ranked 27th, will face Czech Marie Bouzkova, ranked 21st, in the fourth round.
