Sorana Cîrstea, in great form! Qualified in round 2 of the WTA 250 tournament from Cleveland, Gabriela Ruse has been eliminated

Sorana Cîrstea feels good at Cleveland, where she participates for the second time in her career, after tour 2 reached in 2022. The Romanian traveled two qualifications, then found face to face in the inaugural round of the main table with Moyuka Uchijima, number 89.

For their first duel, it took several games of accommodation, settlement and, after two won with the service, four breaks followed-divided between the two. The balance on the table continued for a few minutes, but the pressure placed by the Romanian felt in the Game 8, in which he had two chances of break.

It was not concretized then, but on the next occasion for return. 6-4, the first set was awarded by Cîrstea. She started in force, with a lot of second set and traversed on the shortest route, 6-1.

Sorana Cîrstea, quick qualification in round 2

She made the break at the first occasion, then another one, tormented her service, saving five break balls, but eventually won 6-1 in front of the Japanese born at Kuala Lumpur. A clear victory, in one hour and 19 minutes, which takes it in the second round. There will meet the winner of the match Jil Teichmann (Switzerland) – Lois Boisson (France, favorite 8).

5Breaks from 11 opportunities Sorna Cîrstea managed in the match with Moyuka Uchijima

With Teichmann it has 3-4, the most recent meeting in Iași, where Helveta prevailed in the semifinals, 6-4, 6-3. Boisson has not faced her so far.

In 2025, the best results of Sorana are: semifinals in Iași, quarters of final in Dubai and Austin and optimal in Cincinnati. In double, she won the title in the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid with Anna Kalinskaya.

Gabriela Ruse, defeated in the inaugural round

Gabriela Ruse Photo: Imago Images

Located at her first participation in the WTA 250 tournament at Cleveland, Gabriela Ruse Faced it for the second time in the career on the favorite 8 of the main panel, Hailey Baptiste from the US.

After their 2022 duel, on the green slag from Charleston, when the American won 6-3, 6-0, the two measured their forces on the hard, just a few days before the start of the US Open, the last big slam tournament of the year.

Scheduled on land 1 from Nautica Entertainment Complex in Cleveland, the match quickly brought the first chance of break for Gabi, even in the Inugural Game. The opponent, however, did and also escaped from the second difficult service range.

It seems like the opportunities turned against the Romanian, who then gave up the service at 30. Baptiste, who is in a climbing season, with “optimal” at Roland Garros, tour 3 at Wimbledon, Miami and Rome, quarters at Auckland, took over the initiative. Hit the ball strongly and precisely, without hesitation, overwhelmed the Romanian in three of the following four games.

Americanca won the first set, 6-2, at the third occasion he had returned. Ruse, who suffered enormously on the second service, earning only 13% of points, went to the locker room.

It seemed that the break has no effect as long as Baptist continued to play more and more aggressive. Has distanced to 4-1 with a break in the fourth game. But it was enough to appear a few hesitations, and Gabriela to make a positive switch in her evolution for the set to balance.

Feeding on success, Ruse resisted a break ball, then the two evolved shoulder. Until Tie-Break, where Baptiste found the right blows to distance themselves and impose 7-2 and the final score of 6-2, 7-6 (2).

In 2025, Gabi's most important results are: final at 'S-Hetogenbosch, semifinals in Rouen and Tour 3 in Miami.