Sorana Cirstea has defeated Venus Williams 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 in the first round of the International Strasbourg Open and she was able to do it in just under two hours of play.
It is the first time in her career that the 31-year-old has beaten the former world No.1 after losing to her on three previous occasions. Williams has now lost five consecutive matches and has only recorded three Tour since the start of 2020.
It was the Romanian who got off to the better start as she went on the attack right from the start earning three breakpoints with her forehand and getting the early break to take a 1-0 lead.
The next game the American pushed back earning a breakpoint of her very own but the world number 61 had no issue saving it and holding serve. At 3-1 the Romanian had three more chances to go up a double break and she would do just that with a powerful forehand winner.
At 5-1 with Williams serving to stay in the set she faced three set points but managed to save them all with three straight forehand winners of her very own. The Bucharest, Romania native would eventually earn a fourth set point and convert to take the first set.
The American would bounce back in the second set earning three breakpoints in the first game and breaking to take the early 1-0 lead before the world number 16 would break back the following game before the 40 year old would break again to take a 2-1 lead.
It stayed on serve until 4-2 when the Lynwood, California native would earn three more chances to go up a double break and convert before sealing the second set to send it to a deciding third set.
The Romanian would fight back in the third and get the early break once again to take a 2-0 lead and at 4-1 she would get a double break and served out the match.
Cirstea will now face the number 6 seed Zhang Shuai in the next round after Zhang beat Misaki Doi in straight sets 7-5, 6-4.
Other results :
It was a busy day at the International Strasbourg Open as the main draw kicked off with some scintillating tennis on display. The number 4 seed Yulia Putintseva needed three sets to beat the Swede Rebecca Peterson 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2). Jill Teichman beat the Russia’s Ana Blinkova 6-2, 6-3, home favourite Caroline Garcia dismissed Zarina Diyas 7-5, 6-2, and Barbora Krejckova advanced after Ocean Dodin was forced to retire when she was down 6-3, 3-0 due to a abductor injury.
