It’s very simple. Elise Mertens is world No. 14, she gains five places, and I said it back in January. I said it at the clubhouse bar of the Léopold, in front of witnesses, well, in front of the barman, who was busy.
The facts, for those who don’t listen to me: in Beijing, she knocks out Coco Gauff, world No. 5, then Iga Swiatek, No. 9. Beaten in the semi-final by Zheng Qinwen, who wins the tournament at home. Me, I had predicted a semi-final. Or a final. Careful, I’m not saying the opposite of what I said. I’m clarifying: I had predicted a very good tournament, and that’s what we got.
She’s 30. Her career high is No. 12, in 2018. Now, someone will tell me she isn’t there yet. I said that too. In ninety percent of cases, and I’m being kind, a player who beats two top-10 opponents in the same week climbs. In the remaining ten percent, she climbs as well, just more slowly. My numbers cover everything.
And Zheng Qinwen, who had dropped out of the top 100 this season and who now goes up to 23rd? I saw that coming too. I’ve already written about her final, by the way. That the two predictions contradict each other a little takes nothing away from their accuracy: one won, the other climbed, I was right twice.
My husband, God rest him, had also predicted rain and sunshine on the same Sunday. He took both jackets. He was happy in the evening, whatever the weather.
Mirra Andreeva enters the top 3 at 19 years and five months. I’m not saying I announced it. I’m saying nobody asked me. In Kitzbühel, in ’92, I had an opponent that age, or thereabouts. The context was different.
No. 14 is good, right? But I’m waiting for No. 12 to publish my January prediction in full. The original version is in a notebook I put away in Waterloo. Or in Uccle.
It’s true, we checked: 7sur7.
