ROME : Sorana Cirstea stunned world number one Aryna Sabalenka 2-6 6-3 7-5 in the third round of the Italian Open on Saturday, earning the first victory of her career over a top-ranked player.
The 36-year-old Romanian, who has announced plans to retire later this year, recovered after losing the opening set to claim one of the biggest wins of her career in Rome.
“I’m very happy with the win. I thought I played really well today,” Cirstea said. “I’m working really, really hard. It’s nice to have this result as payoff.”
Four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka appeared hampered physically as the match wore on and took a medical timeout while trailing 4-3 in the deciding set.
Cirstea held her nerve to move within one game of victory before Sabalenka battled back to level the set at 5-5. The Romanian, however, broke serve again and closed out the match as Sabalenka struggled with her backhand returns, sending consecutive shots long before finding the net on match point.
The victory marked Cirstea’s second win over Sabalenka in four career meetings, following her triumph in Miami in 2023.
“Maybe if I win the tournament, I promise I will think about not retiring,” joked Cirstea, who has won four WTA singles titles.
