Romania's Cirstea eases into Cincinnati Open singles 2nd round

Romania's Cirstea eases into Cincinnati Open singles 2nd round

Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea debuted with a decisive 6-0 6-2 victory over Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova on Tuesday in the first round of the Cincinnati Open WTA 1,000 tournament in Cincinnati, Ohio, prize pool USD 2,788,468, told Agerpres.

It took Cirstea, 33, world number 31, just 57 minutes to prevail in her first head-to-head with Alexandrova, 28, world number 21, who committed 7 double faults.

So far, Cirstea won USD 17,930 and 60 WTA singles points, and in the second round she will face eighth-seed Maria Sakkari.

The Romanian prevailed in both head-to-heads with Sakkari, 28, world number 8, in 2017, in the round of 16 in Istanbul, 6-4 6-2, and in 2018, in the first round in Doha, 6-2 6 -3.

In doubles, Irina Begu and Sara Sorribes Tormo (Spain) progressed to the round of 16, after a 7-6 (7/5) 6-3 victory over Elisabetta Cocciaretto (Italy)/Mayar Sherif (Egypt) duo.

Begu and Sorribes Tormo won in an hour and 38 minutes, despite 6 double faults. The Romanian-Spanish double won USD 11,850 and 105 WTA doubles points, and in the round of 16 they will meet N.2 duo Storm Hunter (Australia)/Elise Mertens (Belgium).

Compatriot Irina Begu lost on Tuesday in the singles first round to Czech Marie Bouzkova, 2-6 2-6.