Romanian tennis star Sorana Cirstea knocked out fourth seed Elena Rybakina in the third round of the US Open. Cirstia won in three sets over the former Russian player who played for Kazakhstan: 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-4. This is the first time she has qualified for the fourth round in New York.
Rybakina was able to prepare peacefully after the withdrawal of her opponent in the second round, Australian Agela Tomljanovic. But the winner at Indian Wells and Rome this year has had a rocky start. After bouncing back in the second set, she quickly battled back from 4-1 down in the decisive third set. Rybakina continued to fight, but lost the match after a double fault.
Cirstia, 33, will face Swiss Belinda Bencic in the fourth round.
Coco Gauff also had a tough time in her third round match. But the 19-year-old American, one of the favorites to win the title, beat Belgium’s Elise Mertens 3-6, 6-3, 6-0. In the eighth final, Gauff will meet Danish Caroline Wozniacki, who is 14 years older than her, and who was stronger than American Jennifer Brady in her first Grand Slam tournament in 3.5 years: 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
