Sabalenka, Mertens: Singles opponents in Zhuhai, partners in Shenzhen

Aryna Sabalenka and doubles partner Elise Mertens will be on opposite sides of the net at this week's WTA Elite Trophy at Zhuhai, before teaming up to play at next week's WTA Tour Finals in Shenzhen.

The pair will meet for a spot in the Zhuhai semifinals, having both won their opening round robin encounters.

"She actually came to me like, 'We're playing each other,'" said Mertens, speaking to press at Zhuhai. "And she's like, it's just like a match like another and next week we'll be on the same side of the court and this week we'll be on the opposite side."

Both have been having a good run in singles, with Mertens reaching the semifinals of the US Open, while Sabalenka recently defended her title in Wuhan. Mertens also won the WTA event in Doha earlier this season. They have also had a successful season in doubles—a title at the US Open, and the Indian Wells-Miami Sunshine Double.

Still, they don't know a lot about each other's singles games, according to Mertens. "She has lots of private sessions with the coach. Me too, actually," said the Belgian. "So sometimes we play doubles, we practice doubles, but not that often, actually, our main focus is on singles."

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In her second appearance in Zhuhai, Sabalenka will be looking to avoid her 2018 experience at the event, when she was playing the semifinals but got distracted by the round robin system against Caroline Garcia.

“It was a weird feeling," she said. "I just needed to win one set against Garcia and that's why maybe I got tight there and I couldn't show my best. But I didn't really expect that she's going to win the title. But it was weird, yeah.”

But now, the 21-year-old just wants to compete. A win will move Sabalenka or Mertens into the semifinals.

“I think the main thing is I just need to play tennis, nothing else. All things around, I mean just need to focus on the game,” she said. “Don't care about the points and all this pressure stuff and just be on the court and fight and that's it.”

Both beat Maria Sakkari for their first singles victory in their group.