HOBART, Australia: Belgian qualifier Elize Mertens downed Romanian third seed Monica Niculescu to win the Hobart International for her maiden WTA title on Saturday.
Mertens, ranked 127 and the third qualifier to win the Hobart tournament, defeated the world No.40 Niculescu 6-3, 6-1 in the 74-minute final.
The 21-year-old Belgian made a nervous start in her first WTA final, losing nine of the first 10 points before settling and taking control of the match.
“I played really well today,” Mertens said. “I didn’t make a lot of mistakes, mentally I was strong to stay in the rallies and take my chances when it was needed. I think my serve worked pretty well.”
Mertens became the third qualifier to win the Hobart title following German Mona Barthel in 2012 and Spaniard and subsequent French Open champion Garbine Muguruza in 2014.
Mertens is also the third Belgian player to win the event, following her mentor Kim Clijsters in 2000 and current Belgian Fed Cup captain Dominique Monami in 1997.
Belgium’s Mertens wins Hobart WTA International final
Belgium’s Mertens wins Hobart WTA International final
Formula E heads to Jeddah for double-header, Evans looking to build on Miami momentum
- The night races in Saudi Arabia come with the drivers’ standings tightly contested, with the top five separated by just seven points after three rounds
JEDDAH: The FIA Formula E World Championship continues this week with the first double-header of the 2025/26 season, as Rounds 4 and 5 take place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Feb. 13 and 14.
The night races in Saudi Arabia come with the drivers’ standings tightly contested, with the top five separated by just seven points after three rounds, while the highly anticipated Pit Boost feature also returns this weekend.
Pit Boost is a mandatory mid-race stop that provides cars with a 10 percent energy increase, adding a significant strategic element to selected races during double-header weekends.
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans arrives in Jeddah fresh from victory in Miami and said the team is keen to build on its momentum.
“Getting the win in Miami was a huge boost, for me personally, of course, but for the whole team too. It was one of those races where everything just came together, and to take my 15th Formula E victory with Jaguar made it even more special,” he said.
“Now the attention shifts to Jeddah, which is a completely different challenge. We’ve shown we have the pace, and if we execute well across both races, there’s a big opportunity for us to really ride this momentum,” he added.
Porsche Formula E Team’s Nico Muller said the Jeddah E-Prix presents a unique challenge, particularly with the return of Pit Boost, which will be used in one of the two races.
“I’m excited for the Jeddah E-Prix, a night race is always special. It’s a cool track, it suits the GEN3 Evo (car) well,” he said.
“It’ll be the first Pit Boost race of the season, which will make things challenging, having two completely different races. It also makes preparation more intense because we’re preparing for two different scenarios.
“However, we have a strong base, the car and the team are performing well, and now it’s about optimizing our package for this track and the conditions. We have full focus on scoring points and chasing that victory,” he added.
The Jeddah E-Prix will once again be held under the lights, with cooler track and air temperatures expected to influence tire behavior and energy efficiency.
Off track, Formula E will also host the return of EVO Sessions, where global content creators will drive electric race cars at the circuit following the race weekend, with the event set to be streamed live on YouTube on Feb. 15.
The championship continues to promote sustainability and community engagement in Jeddah through initiatives focused on renewable energy use, waste reduction, education programs and inclusion, including support for young women in motorsport and local community partnerships.
