Mertens roars back to down Bartunkova and set up Monterrey final with Perry

[p]Frenchwoman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/parry-diane/hQQLzcNT/"]Parry[/a], 23, earlier upset ‌American fifth seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/li-ann/rwvAgOWm/"]Ann Li[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/li-a-rwvAgOWm/parry-d-hQQLzcNT/?mid=Qavqry64"]7-6(7), 6-4[/a] in two hours and three minutes in the ‌first semi-final to book her ⁠place in ‌the final.[/p][embed guid="9348b7db-22c4-4555-ac5b-73586ddec659" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8AYpRk_DaY&pp=0gcJCRMMAYcqIYzv" social-type="youtube" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/bartunkova-n-84ILHaZ4/mertens-e-Y1ZrrUtl/?mid=hW1d9D43"]In the second semi-final[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bartunkova-nikola/84ILHaZ4/"]Bartunkova[/a] made a ​blistering start, breaking [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mertens-elise/Y1ZrrUtl/"]Mertens[/a] in the opening game before racing to a ​4-1 lead. The 20-year-old secured a second break and never allowed Mertens a ⁠route back, ​closing out the set 6-1 after breaking serve for a third time in the final game.[/p][p]After being outplayed in the opening ‌set, Mertens battled back in the second from a 3-0 deficit. The 30-year-old turned the tide by breaking in three consecutive return games and winning six of the final seven games to take the set 6-4 and draw level.[/p][embed guid="81936ef7-02af-4d6c-a477-67e985ee1c9a" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biXWteEdmHc" social-type="youtube" /][p]Mertens carried that momentum into the decider, securing ‌an early break for a 2-1 ​lead. She tightened her grip on the ‌contest with another break in a marathon seventh game before serving out the set 6-2 to complete the comeback victory.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/mertens-e-Y1ZrrUtl/parry-d-hQQLzcNT/?mid=GESJvwvh"]Follow the Monterrey final with Flashscore![/a][/b][/p][image alt="Final winning probabilities" id="7f1ec6be-c378-4deb-8f02-2be75906315a" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="314e884f-28e9-4edf-98df-3d542187cfe7" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]The US Open women's singles ⁠main draw begins ⁠on Sunday.[/p][p] [/p][infobox id="3dc51b3a-107f-482b-9173-a97d347ef1b3" /]