World No. 4 American Jessica Pegula was defeated by Belgium`s Elise Mertens, ranked 24th in the WTA rankings, in the third round of the tournament in Rome. The match concluded with scores of 5-7, 1-6.
The players spent 1 hour and 25 minutes on the court. Elise Mertens continues to lead their head-to-head encounters, now holding a 4-1 advantage.
Match Statistics:
| Pegula | Mertens | |
| Aces | 0 | 4 |
| Double Faults | 3 | 1 |
| Breaks Won | 1 | 4 |
| Total Points Won | 50 | 70 |
This victory marks the first time the Belgian player has defeated a Top 10 opponent since Roland Garros in 2023. The win also breaks a significant streak of 14 consecutive losses Mertens had suffered against opponents ranked in the Top 10.
Mertens` next opponent in Italy will be Russia`s Diana Shnaider.
Rupert Hartwell 
Adrian Whitmore