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Qatar Total Open is biggest title to date for new champion

By Harry Floyd

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 19: Elise Mertens of Belgium serves in her third round match against Madison Keys of the United States during day six of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 19, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 19: Elise Mertens of Belgium serves in her third round match against Madison Keys of the United States during day six of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 19, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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Fans and players alike might have expected to see Simona Halep in the finals at the Qatar Total Open, but Elise Mertens was a surprise.

Belgian tennis player Elise Mertens has completed a dream run this month at the Qatar Total Open. Meeting former world number one and top seeded Simona Halep in the finals, Mertens had a shot to win her biggest title to date…. and she did it.

Mertens takes down Halep in a three set thriller, winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Prior to her match with the former world number one, Mertens also stunned another former top ranked player in German tennis star Angelique Kerber. During the semifinals in Doha, Mertens was the only unseeded player of the bunch.

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The win in Doha is easily her biggest to date. While Mertens takes home her fifth career WTA singles title, it is just the first WTA Premier-level win. The kicker too is that it comes along with a fantastic finals match against one of the sport’s top players.

Look out for Mertens throughout the remainder of the 2019 WTA Tour. The 23-year-old is off to a dream start this year. She has already tasted success and has proven that she can take on the very best in women’s singles tennis.

Mertens will be someone who can easily play spoiler at the bigger tournaments. Soon, she might even crack the WTA Top 10. Her win at the Qatar Total Open moves her up to the world number 16 position in women’s singles tennis. She has gone as high as number 12 previously and should touch those career heights and beyond in the coming days. Mertens is now without a doubt a player to beat on the 2019 WTA Tour.

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Hats off to Halep for a strong run of tennis at the Qatar Total Open. The Romanian is fighting to regain the top ranking in the sport. Naomi Osaka is the current world number one and Halep is right on her heels. The runner-up finish in Doha brings her back into the second ranking, just ahead of American Sloane Stephens. Stay tuned to see how Mertens fares in the coming weeks and how the rest of the women’s singles tennis shakes out as the WTA Tour moves forward.

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