Mertens knocks out World No. 3 Halep

Belgian delight: Mertens fought back after losing the first set to shock Halep.

World No. 3 Simona Halep was dumped out on Tuesday, losing 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the round-of-16 to Belgian Elise Mertens at the Madrid Open.

Halep had sailed through the first two rounds on the Spanish clay without dropping a set but she ended up second best in a match which yielded 15 breaks of serve.

Halep produced 10 double faults in the match to Mertens’ nine.

The results:Men:Second round: Andrey Rublev bt Tommy Paul 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4; Alexander Bublik bt Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

First round: Jannik Sinner bt Guido Pella 6-2, 4-4 (retired); Casper Ruud bt Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-4; Kei Nishikori bt Karen Khachanov 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-2; John Millman bt Hubert Hurkacz 5-7, 7-6(7), 6-3; Yoshihito Nishioka bt Filip Krajinovic 6-2, 6-4; Alejandro Davidovich Fokina bt Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-7(5), 7-6(4), 7-6(4); Alexei Popyrin bt Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 7-6(4).

Women (round-of-16): Elise Mertens bt Simona Halep 4-6, 7-5, 7-5; Aryna Sabalenka bt Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-2 .