Ilinca Amariei, ranked 585th in the WTA, triumphed over Carmen Herea, ranked 571st, with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the final round of qualifying for the UniCredit Iași Open. This victory marks Amariei’s first entry into the main draw of a WTA tournament.
The match commenced on the Central Court of Baza Sportivă Ciric, where the stakes were high for both players, as only the winner would advance to the main draw. Despite a gloomy weather, Herea started strong, capturing the first set 6-3 in just 30 minutes.
Encouraged by the small audience and determined to fight back, Amariei rallied in the second set. Even after trailing 4-3 and saving four break points, she managed to clinch the set 6-4 after 52 minutes.
Meanwhile, star player Paula Badosa was practicing on a nearby court, while Jaqueline Cristian announced her withdrawal from the tournament. Amariei then took control of the match, breaking Herea three times to secure her victory with a final score of 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. She celebrated her historic qualification with a simple fist pump.
Three Romanian Players in the Main Draw at UniCredit Iași Open
Amarie joins fellow Romanians Gabriela Ruse and Miriam Bulgaru in the main draw. Prior to this event, Amariei has attempted to qualify for a WTA main draw five times without success, previously falling in various stages of the qualifying rounds in Cluj-Napoca and Iași.
In the same round of qualifiers, another Romanian, Irina Fetecău, was defeated by Elina Avanesyan with a score of 6-2, 6-2. The main draw matches are set to commence on Monday.
