Marino Broken Down by Mertens in Madrid

If Thursday’s second-round match on the Madrid Open was any indication, Crew Canada offered by Sobeys could have caught a break earlier in April when Elise Mertens handed on the Billie Jean King Cup tie between Belgium and Canada.

The Belgian No. 1 defeated Canada’s Rebecca Marino in straight units on Thursday in Madrid, breaking the Canadian’s mighty serve six occasions within the 6-3, 6-1 win. This was Marino’s first-ever appearance at a WTA 1000 event on clay, not to mention the second spherical.

Clay is a floor that usually favours returners and Mertens, the 24^th seed in Madrid, took full benefit towards the big-serving Marino, changing six of her eleven break factors and profitable 53 per cent of the Canadian’s second serve factors. Marino did herself few favours by placing simply 47 per cent of her first serves in play and received simply 52 per cent of these factors.

Mertens was studying Marino’s serve proper from the beginning, breaking the Canadian within the opening sport and including a break to like a number of video games later to assert a fast 4-1 lead.

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Nevertheless, Marino rapidly turned the tables. She broke again instantly and was some extent away from levelling the set at 4-all when she had a double break level on the Belgian’s serve within the eighth sport however couldn’t convert.

The second serve was an enormous downside for the Canadian within the opening set as she received simply 26 per cent of factors when lacking her first supply, which allowed Mertens to trigger issues almost each time Marino served. As she tried to remain within the set at 3-5, the Canadian discovered herself below strain once more and was damaged on the fourth break level of the sport to give up the opening set.

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An change of breaks opened the second set earlier than Mertens held to like. The Belgian appeared to have solved Marino’s serve and was in a position to break each time the Canadian stepped as much as the road. Marino solely had one break level to remain on tempo and couldn’t convert it as her event got here to an finish after 76 minutes.

Two Canadian girls stay within the singles draw: Bianca Andreescu and Eugenie Bouchard.