Elise Mertens battles past teenager to reach Lugano quarter-finals

Michael Graham
KEY BISCAYNE, FL - MARCH 25: Elise Mertens of Belgium plays a backhand against Johanna Konta of Great Britain in their third round match during the Miami Open Presented by Itau at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 25, 2018 in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Elise Mertens managed to overcome both the rain and Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova to reach the quarter-finals of the Samsung Open in Lugano.

The pair toiled for over two-and-a-half hours through rain drops before the Belgian second seed progressed with a 6-2 5-7 7-5 victory.

With play affected by the weather for a fifth straight day, plans to complete both the second round and quarter-finals on Friday were put on hold.

However, Kirsten Flipkens and Camila Giorgi did manage to complete respective upset second-round victories over Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Alison van Uytvanck.

Sasnovich looked to be in total command of Flipkens prior to Friday’s first rain delay, leading by a set and enjoying a double-break advantage upon resumption in the second set.

But the Belgian number three won six of the next seven games to tie the match before advancing 4-6 6-4 6-2 into her first quarter-final of the season.

Vera Lapko joined her fellow Belorussian Aryna Sabalenka in the final eight with a 6-2 6-3 win over fellow qualifier Danka Kovinic.

Germany’s Mona Barthel followed up taking the shock scalp of Svetlana Kuznetsova on Thursday with a 6-3 4-6 6-4 victory over Donna Vekic.