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Sorana Cirstea has spoken warmly about Elena Rybakina after their third-round match at the 2023 US Open.
On Friday, September 1, Cirstea and Rybakina went head-to-head with a spot in the Round of 16 on the line. The Romanian fought hard to ensure the 2022 Wimbledon champion did not manage a comeback, registering a 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-4 upset win.
In what is one of the standout results of the tournament this year, she finished with 33 winners to 42 unforced errors. The win, incidentally, was also her 19th victory against top-10 players on the WTA tour.
In her on-court interview after the match, Cirstea praised Rybakina and took pride in her "deserved" win against the World No. 4.
"She's a great player. She's number four in the world for a reason and she's also a sweetheart and I think she's wonderful for our tour," she said.
"I’ve lost twice against her before, and she’s a very good player. It's a great win for me, especially because I played well and I really think I gave everything I had tonight and I deserved this win. And again, thank you everyone for the support," she added.
Before their clash at the New York Major this year, Cirstea and Rybakina had faced each other twice on the WTA tour, with the latter emerging as the victor both times. They first crossed paths at the 2020 Qatar Open, where the Kazakh won 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. Later, at the French Open, she won 6-0, 6-3.
Sorana Cirstea to face Belinda Bencic in 2023 US Open 4R
With her third-round win against Elena Rybakina, Sorana Cirstea achieved her best US Open result in her 15th main draw appearance at the tournament.
Previously, Cirstea had reached the third round in New York thrice but failed to make it to the next round on all occasions — losing to Caroline Wozniacki in 2009, to Taylor Townsend in 2109, and to Karolína Muchova in 2020.
The 33-year-old is now set to make her fourth career fourth-round appearance after the 2009 French Open, 2017 Australian Open, and the 2022 Australian Open. Her best result at a Major remains a quarterfinal appearance at the 2009 Roland Garros, where the then 19-year-old high school student lost to Sam Stosur.
Cirstea will next face 15th seed Belinda Bencic, who defeated China’s Zhu Lin 7-6(1), 2-6, 6-3 in her third-round contest.
