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Match Details
Fixture: (1) Aryna Sabalenka vs Elise Mertens
Date: April 19, 2025
Tournament: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, Germany
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Clay (indoor)
Prize Money: $1,064,510
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - DAZN
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elise Mertens preview
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will face her former doubles partner Elise Mertens in the quarterfinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2025.
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Sabalenka stormed to the title in Brisbane to begin her year on a high. She came quite close to pulling off a three-peat at the Australian Open but lost to Madison Keys in the final. She followed a disappointing Middle East swing with a runner-up finish at the BNP Paribas Open.
After coming up short in two of the biggest tournaments of the year, Sabalenka turned up the heat at the Miami Open. She beat three top 10 players, including Jessica Pegula, in the final to win the title. She has advanced to the last eight in Stuttgart without even taking to the court. She received a first-round bye, and her second-round opponent, Anastasia Potapova, gave her a walkover into the quarterfinals.
Mertens kicked off her run in Stuttgart with a 7-6 (3), 6-2 win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich. She was up against eighth seed Diana Shnaider in the second round. The Belgian raced to a 5-1 lead in the first set and claimed it for herself soon after that.
Shnaider rallied from a breakdown twice in the second set and even saved three match points on her own serve at 5-3. However, Mertens eventually had the last laugh, coming out on top in the ensuing tie-break to register a 6-2, 7-6 (5) win.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elise Mertens head-to-head
Sabalenka leads Mertens 8-2 in the head-to-head. The Belarusian won their most recent meeting at last year's US Open in straight sets.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elise Mertens odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elise Mertens prediction
Mertens has reached the last eight here without dropping a set. She has flown under the radar this year and has posted a rather solid 18-7 record. She won the title in Singapore and was the runner-up in Hobart.
Sabalenka received a free ride into the Stuttgart quarterfinals. Though given her form this season, she was a favorite to make the last eight anyway. She's a three-time runner-up in Stuttgart, and last year's quarterfinal exit marked her first loss prior to the final.
Sabalenka's dominant record against her former doubles partner makes her the favorite to notch yet another win in this rivalry. Mertens won two of their first three career meetings and has since lost their next seven matches, with the last six being straight-set defeats.
Mertens does have the advantage of having played a few matches on clay, unlike her opponent. If she's able to capitalize on that, then she does have a slim chance. However, she's on a 12-match losing streak against top 10 players, making Sabalenka the firm favorite on account of that.
Pick: Aryna Sabalenka to win in straight sets.
