WTA Qatar Total Open 2019 Final Preview and Prediction
Head-to-head: Halep 2-0 Mertens
Last meeting: 2018 French Open R16 (Halep won 6-2 6-1)
The final of the WTA Qatar Total Open 2019 will be contested by Simona Halep and Elise Merten,s with both players gunning for a first title of the year. The Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex–the venue for Qatar Total Open–has witnessed some memorable matches over the years, and Simona Halep’s epic comeback in the final set of her semifinal against Elina Svitolina will surely be recorded in that extensive list.
The Romanian has achieved so much in her career, including a Grand Slam title win, but in terms of sheer effort, there surely has been no finer or more courageous than her victory over the Ukranian in a fiercely contested semifinal. Halep’s win will taste even sweeter considering that Svitolina had been a thorn in her game for the best part of two years. Her last success over Svitolina was during the French Open in 2017, and on that occasion Halep fought back from the dead. She required similar powers of recovery to ensure she will have a shot for a second title in Doha.
Halep’s opponent in the final will be the unseeded Belgian Elise Mertens, who does make a habit of displaying some impressive results during the first half of the season pretty much every year. Mertens reached a career high ranking of World No.12 at the end of the 2018, in which she won two titles (all in a frantic first half of the year) and appeared in a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time.
Mertens has surprised many with her relentless tennis this week given the laborious few days of Fed Cup action which took toll on a number of WTA players. It is a real surprise to see the two finalists, both of whom were involved in last weekend’s Fed Cup schedule. The 23-year-old Mertens is not to be written off, especially after claiming two top 10 scalps this week. First, she easily dispatched an in-form Kiki Bertens in straight sets and then overcame the disappointment of dropping the second set in her semifinal to eliminate 3rd seed Angelique Kerber. Mertens, though, will have her toughest assignment of the week when she faces a third straight top 10 player, and the highest seed in the tournament with the title on the line.
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Simona Halep vs Elise Mertens
Simona Halep is a former champion in Qatar and this is the highest level (performance wise) she has attained this year considering the injury troubles. The Romanian was not 100% fit for the Australian Open and still managed to give a real scare to Serena Williams in their fourth round match. Perhaps a lot of people were expecting a downturn in results ever since, but she has managed to fight through adversity. After falling down two places in the rankings to World No.3, there was added incentive in Doha for the 27-year-old. She had the opportunity to knock off Petra Kvitova in second place with a quarterfinal showing given the Czech’s absence in Qatar.
Although Halep’s victories in 2019 have not been straightforward, she is now one win away from capturing her second title in these parts. Elise Mertens has exceeded expectations this week. Keen followers of the Belgian know of the quality she possesses, but this will be a step to far. Halep is playing with different energy right now. A week from her exploits in the Fed Cup, and moving to World No.2, surely there is only one winner.
Prediction: Halep in 2
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