Romanian tennis players Andreea Mitu and Gabriela Ruse qualified on Tuesday for the round of sixteen of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Santa Margherita, Italy, with prizes worth 25,000 US dollars.
Mitu (aged 25, WTA's 227th) defeated Italian Tatiana Pieri (aged 17, WTA's 784th), with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (3) and in the round of sixteen she will face the winner of the event between Lina Gjorcheska (Macedonia), second seed, and Katarina Zavatka (Ukraine).
Ruse (aged 19, WTA's 296th) defeated Ukrainian Daiana Iastremska (aged 16, WTA's 420th), with a score of 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-5, in an event that abounded in double errors, 15 made by the Romanian player and 14 made by her opponent.
The next opponent of Ruse will be the winner of the event between French Myrtille Georges (7th seed) and Basak Eraydin (Turkey).
In another event of the first round, French Fiona Ferro (aged 20, WTA's 235th) managed to defeat Irina Maria Bara (aged 22, WTA's 240th), with a score of 6-4, 6-3.
The women's singles main draw features another representative of Romania, namely Cristina Dinu, who will play in the inaugural round with Italian Martina Trevisan.