"The match was tougher than the score suggests," says Mertens after defeating Svitolina at Wimbledon

Elise Mertens delivered one of the standout performances this Friday at Wimbledon. In the third round, the 24th-seeded Belgian eliminated Elina Svitolina (6-1, 7-6), marking her fourth win in nine encounters against the Ukrainian and her first victory in three attempts on grass.

Last week, Svitolina had managed to defeat Mertens at the Bad Homburg tournament, but this time, the Belgian rose to the occasion to exact her revenge. The 29-year-old player spoke after her win, as she now prepares to face Aryna Sabalenka for a spot in the quarterfinals of this London Grand Slam.

"The match was tougher than the score suggests. Toward the end, there were a lot of nerves—it was tense. I didn’t even know the score during the tie-break. I remember I was losing, probably 0-4 (Mertens trailed 3-0 and 4-2 before winning the decisive tie-break 7-4).

But I kept fighting. A week ago, I lost to Elina (Svitolina)—she’s an incredible tennis player. I have to give her credit, but I’m very happy to have won in straight sets.

What was the difference compared to our previous match in Bad Homburg? This is Wimbledon. Here, you have to give everything you’ve got. I want to thank everyone—the atmosphere was incredible, it’s an incredible court.

You only play at Wimbledon once a year—it’s a special place, and you bring out your best. I tried to enjoy it a little, even during the tie-break. I’m very happy," Mertens elaborated in her interview with Tribuna.