MELBOURNE
Elise Mertens, the player with the best record on the women’s circuit in 2020 (34-13), took 35-year-old Estonian veteran Kaia Kanepi off the track, a tennis player with a portentous physique who had played a great tournament until she ran into the 25-year-old Belgian and 20th in the world in the Gippsland Thropy final: 6-4 and 6-1 in 68 minutes. Mertens lifted with that force the sixth title of his career, second in the WTA 500 category, a different and beautiful trophy, ethnic in nature (an aboriginal shield with a drawing of a koala).
Elise Mertens secured her sixth career WTA title when she made light work of experienced Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-4 6-1 to win the Gippsland Trophy Australian Open warm-up tournament on Sunday.
With 18 winners and only 13 unforced errors, Elise controlled the game and made the most of the break opportunities she had (4/4). Kanepi, the oldest player in the tournament, was playing her first final since 2013 and perhaps had forgotten what it takes to win a momentous match. It was always in tow and Although she threatened to come back in the first set, she did not succeed and in the second she was totally overwhelmed.
Mertens, a tennis player in constant progression, points out ways for the Australian Open, a tournament in which he was a semifinalist three years ago. Against Kanepi he made an impressive game in which he only lost three points with his first serves.
Gippsland Trophy results and table.