Sorana Cîrstea, ranked #19 in WTA at age 36, is up against Anna Kalinskaya, #21 and 27 years old, in the third round of the Cincinnati tournament. The match commenced at 20:50, but was interrupted by rain at 21:05 with the score tied at 2-2 in the first set. After a delay of one hour and five minutes, play resumed at 22:10. However, after Kalinskaya secured the first set, the match faced another rain delay at 22:50. When play resumed at 23:53, Cîrstea dominated, taking the second set 6-1, only for rain to halt the game once more in Mason, Ohio.
The match is being held on “Champion’s Court” and began following a men’s singles match between Thiago Agustin Tirante and Martin Landaluce. Tirante won that match with two tight sets, both 7-6 (5).
LIVE » Sorana Cîrstea – Anna Kalinskaya: 6-7 (4), 6-1, 0-0
As of 00:45, the rain has stopped, but the court requires drying, leading to at least a 30-minute pause.
Currently, efforts are underway to dry the courts at the Cincinnati ATP & WTA 1000 tournament. If weather permits, the matches are expected to resume within 35-50 minutes.
Following the second set, rain interrupted play for the third time. The umpire advised both players that they could head to the locker rooms due to extended delay; however, Cîrstea and Kalinskaya opted to stay on the court.
Sorana Cîrstea fought back in the second set, winning 6-1, forcing the match into a decisive set after she converted her second set point. Despite some double faults, she maintained control and secured the set.
After a brief rain delay, the match resumed and was interrupted again shortly after the second set concluded. Cîrstea had previously faced a tough loss in Toronto and a third-round exit at Wimbledon due to injury, making her performance in Cincinnati particularly noteworthy.
Cîrstea, a 15th seed at this tournament, had a bye in the first round and won her second-round match against Nikola Bartunkova with a score of 7-6 (5), 6-3. Kalinskaya, seeded 18, similarly bypassed the first round and defeated Caty McNally with a score of 6-3, 6-4.
During this final season of her career, Cîrstea achieved a significant victory earlier this year at the Transylvania Open, defeating Emma Răducanu in the final with a decisive score of 6-0, 6-2.
