Romanian tennis player Elena-Gabriela Ruse scored her first victory in 2022, 6-3, 6-2, against Australian Arina Rodionova, on Tuesday, in the first round of the Melbourne Summer Set 1 (WTA 250), equipped with total prizes of 239,477 US dollars, Agerpres reports.
Ruse also defeated Rodionova (32 years old, WTA's 152nd) in their first match against each other, in 2018, in the qualifying round at Wimbledon, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
Ruse won a cheque worth 3,675 US dollars and 30 WTA for her qualification in the round of sixteen of the competition, with her next probable opponent to be Simona Halep (30 years old, WTA's 20th), seed no. 2, who will play her first round against Australian Destanee Aiava (21 years old, WTA's 316th). Halep also played against Aiava in 2018, in the first round of the Australian Open, back then winning 7-6 (5), 6-1.
Halep and Ruse will play side by side on Tuesday in the first round of the Melbourne Summer Set 2 doubles event against Bernarda Pera (USA)/Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic), seeds no. 2.
Also on Tuesday, in the first round of the Melbourne Summer Set 1, Jaqueline Cristian will face Estonian Kaia Kanepi.