Rybakina beats Mertens, reaches Miami Open 2023 quarterfinals

ASTANA. KAZINFORM Reigning champion of Wimbledon 2022 Elena Rybakina (ranked 7th by WTA) beat Belgium’s Elise Mertens (ranked 39th) with a 6-4, 6-3 score in the Miami Open Round of 16, Kazinform reports citing Sports.kz.

The match became historical one for Rybakina. Previously, she failed to win the third round of the Miami Open tournament and tumbled out of it in 2021 and 2022. Last year in Miami, Rybakina was defeated by American Jessica Pegula (ranked 3rd) - 3:6, 4:6, and a year before she lost to Spanish player Sarah Sorribes-Tormo (ranked 106th) - 1:6, 6:3, 2:6.

Earlier, Rybakina defeated Russian Anna Kalinskaya (ranked 64th) and Spanish player Paula Badosa (ranked 29th).