Premium
Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea qualified on Wednesday for the quarter-finals of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), with total prize money worth USD 3,211,715, after defeating Croatian Donne Vekic (27, WTA's 31st) in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Cirstea (33, WTA's 22nd) won after two hours and 15 minutes against an opponent who had defeated Arina Sabalenka of Belarus, world number two and last month's Australian Open champion, in the previous round, agerpres reports.
The Romanian has secured a cheque worth USD 72,965 and 215 WTA points, and in the quarterfinals she will face Czech Marketa Vondrousova (24, WTA's 8th), who defeated Russian Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday.
Cirstea is 2-1 in head-to-head matches with Wimbledon champion Vondrousova, whom she defeated in 2022 in the first round in St. Petersburg, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, and last year in the round of 16 in Miami, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4. The Czech won their first meeting in 2021 in the third round at the Australian Open, 6-2, 6-4.
