Veteran Romanian Sorana Cirstea came from behind to defeat Yuan Yue of China 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-4 in the women’s singles third round at the WTA Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio. The victory sees the 35-year-old Cirstea advance to the last 16.
Neither player managed a break in the first nine games of the match. Cirstea held two set points at 5-4 in the opening set, but Yuan saved one and forced a tiebreaker. Yuan dominated the breaker 7-2 to take the opening set.
In set two, Yuan jumped out to an early lead with two breaks, but Cirstea clawed back. Exploiting an uptick in unforced errors from Yuan, the Romanian leveled the match 6-4.
Yuan began the decider strongly, racing to a 2-0 lead. Cirstea responded with five consecutive games, shifting the momentum. Although Yuan rallied for two more games, Cirstea held serve in the tenth to seal the win.
Up next, Cirstea will face third-seeded Iga Swiatek in the round of 16, setting the stage for a fresh showdown between experience and youth.
Reference(s):
Yuan Yue loses to Sorana Cirstea in third round at Cincinnati Open
cgtn.com
