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Mertens beats Pegula again to advance at Italian Open

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23 hoursTennis

Elise Mertens continued her dominance over Jessica Pegula, beating the third seed in straight sets to advance to the Italian Open's round of 16.

Mertens improved her head-to-head record over the American to 4-1, sealing her latest win in one hour and 24 minutes as she emerged a 7-5 6-1 victor. 

After Mertens won their first three meetings, Pegula finally beat the Belgian for the first time at this year's Australian Open, but she was outclassed by her opponent on Saturday.

The pair traded blows in the opening set, with both players earning breaks of serve in the fifth and sixth games, though it was Mertens who claimed the early advantage. 

And the Belgian was more dominant in the second set, following up a love service game early by reeling off the final five games to book her place in the next round. 

Mertens sealed the win when Pegula sent a forehand long after a gruelling rally, and she will now face Diana Shnaider for a spot in the quarter-finals. 

Data Debrief: Mertens ends top-10 hoodoo

Mertens ended a long drought with this triumph. She had lost her last 14 matches against top-10 players, with her last such win coming against Pegula at Roland-Garros in 2023. 

Four of Mertens' winners were aces, bringing her 2025 total up to 131. Only Clara Tauson (163) and Madison Keys (139) have hit more than her this season.

She also became only the second Belgian woman to notch a top-five win at the Italian Open, after Justine Henin in 2002, when she beat compatriot Kim Clijsters.