Elise Mertens is queen in Qatar

Shrugs off back pain to beat Halep

Flying high: Elise Mertens with the Qatar Open trophy.

Belgium’s Elise Mertens claimed the biggest win of her career on Saturday, surprisingly coming from a set down to beat world number three Simona Halep and clinch the Qatar Open.

The World No. 21 won 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, despite being outclassed in the first set, overcoming an eight-minute medical time-out for back pain in the second set, and losing 18 consecutive points at one stage in the match.

‘Nicest victory’

“It’s a big moment for me, getting that victory,” said a jubilant Mertens, 23, afterwards. “I think this one would be, especially also with the tennis I played, the nicest one, nicest victory.”

Her win, in a little over two hours, was her third victory over a top 10 player in Doha this week, and her second over a Grand Slam champion.

Halep is the reigning French Open champion and Angelique Kerber, who she beat in the semifinals, holds the Wimbledon title.

Qatar is the fifth title of Mertens’ career but notably her first at a Premier-level event. She said it outshone her achievement in getting to the Australian Open semifinals in 2018.

Mertens started nervously, lost her opening service game, and the first set in just 32 minutes. At 2-0 down in the second, it looked like it was going to turn into a routine victory for Halep.

Mertens broke back, then called for medical attention and was the stronger player for the remainder of the game.

She could rise as high number 16 in the next rankings because of her victory here. Coincidentally her ranking of 21 coming into the tournament was exactly the same as last year’s winner here, Petra Kvitova.

‘I didn’t have a chance’

A clearly fading Halep, who played in the Fed Cup last weekend when she led Romania into the semifinals for the first time, also called for medical assistance for treatment to a blister on her right foot.

Despite her defeat, the Romanian will head back to number two in the rankings on the back of her performances in Doha.

The results: Qatar Open: Final: Elise Mertens bt Simona Halep 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Rotterdam Open: Semifinals: Stan Wawrinka bt Kei Nishikori 6-2, 4-6, 6-4; Gael Monfils bt Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 .