Elise Mertens had a good run in New York and her good run continued on the clay season as well by defeating Hsieh 6-3 6-1. After the match Mertens spoke the media saying:
"I'm not sure how well I adapted, to be honest. I just feel like I might still be struggling a little. It was also her first match of the week, so that was a bit of an advantage for me. Going from hard to clay is a little difficult with the sliding and timing, but I tried to give everything I had today, tried to adapt where I could."
Despite her reserved tone regarding her play Mertens displayed little issues in the match as the end result suggests. She continued by saying:
"You can expect a lot of different shots: drop shots, slice, a lob if you come to the net. You can expect some really good shots, but I tried to mix it up too because I think she likes the hard-hitters, so she can use the pace and get her variety going. I think I did everything well today. My serve was better in the second set, which made all the difference."
Her next opponent will be a bit tougher as she is set to face Magda Linette who seems in a good form after defeating Ostapenko in the 1st round. On that match she said:
"I played her before, but that was years ago, so I can't really say anything. I have to look at her matches because it's been so long. I have to look at myself, too, and how the transition from hard to clay isn't easy. I had my first practices on Saturday and Sunday, but I have another practice day tomorrow."
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