Mertens Wins Den Bosch Title Over Ruse

Belgian tennis player Elise Mertens won the Libema Open in Den Bosch, claiming her tenth WTA singles title and her first on grass by defeating Romanian qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 7-6(4). Mertens showed remarkable resilience throughout the tournament, notably saving 11 match points in her semifinal against Ekaterina Alexandrova before overcoming Ruse in a final that tested her composure, especially in the second set tiebreaker. Ruse, despite losing, expressed pride in reaching the final as a qualifier and acknowledged Mertens' dominance in their head-to-head matches. Earlier rounds saw Mertens defeating top seeds including Maria Sakkari and Yue Yuan, while Ruse advanced without dropping a set. Concurrently, other grass-court tournaments across Europe featured finals such as the Stuttgart showdown between Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz, highlighting a busy day in the tennis calendar. Mertens’ victory adds momentum as the grass season progresses toward Wimbledon.