Sorana cîrstea

2023 - 3 - 29

Post cover — Image courtesy of "WTA Tennis"

Cirstea upsets Sabalenka, reaches first WTA 1000 semifinal in a ... (WTA Tennis)

Unseeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea upset No.2 seed and Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka to reach the semifinals at the Miami Open.

She broke for a lead she never relinquished at 4-4 in the opener, and 3-3 in the second set. Cirstea broke Sabalenka in the first game of each set, but she ended up earning the deciding break later on. Three of them came at the worst possible time for the No.2 seed: on break point. (She was beaten by World No.1 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open earlier this month.) I just mind my own business, work hard, do my thing, believe in my game, "I came out knowing that it's going to be a really tough match.

Sorana Cirstea stuns Aryna Sabalenka to reach Miami Open semis (ESPN)

Unseeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea earned the biggest win of her career with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Australian Open champion and world No.

[Sorana Cirstea](https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=1774) earned the biggest win of her career with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Australian Open champion and world No. "I came out knowing that it was going to be a really tough match. [Petra Kvitova](https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=928) or 18th-seeded Russian [Ekaterina Alexandrova](https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=3182) in the semis.

A decade after her last 1000-level semifinal, Sorana Cirstea stuns ... (Tennis Magazine)

Sorana Cirstea, 32 and ranked 74th in the world, had never faced Aryna Sabalenka, this year's Australian Open champion and the second seed at the Miami Open ...

I'll try to come out tomorrow with the same performance." "I was always dangerous. Cirstea entered March with none of the confidence we saw from her today. Sabalenka’s returning was another culprit. Though Cirstea had never returned Sabalenka’s sometimes-lethal serve before, she quickly found a groove that quickly frustrated the red-hot Belarusian. Miami, USA

Cirstea's tale of the 'unexpected' as Sabalenka upset (BBC Sport)

Romania's Sorana Cirstea stuns world number two Aryna Sabalenka to earn the biggest win of her career and reach the Miami Open semi-finals.

Speaking in her on-court interview, the world number 74 added: "I came out knowing it would be a really tough match. Only Kazakh Rybakina, with 12, has won more WTA 1000 main-draw matches in 2023 than Cirstea. Cirstea, the only unseeded player to make the last eight of the women's draw, is yet to drop a set in a five-match streak in Miami which has also seen her eliminate world number four Caroline Garcia.

Sorana Cirstea stuns Aryna Sabalenka for first WTA 1000 semi-final ... (Yahoo Eurosport UK)

Unseeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea produced a brilliant display to stun Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in the Miami Open quarter-finals.

Aryna Sabalenka crashes out of Miami Open to Sorana Cirstea ... (Eurosport.com)

Aryna Sabalenka has crashed out of Miami Open in the quarter-finals after an error-prone display, losing in straight sets to Sorana Cirstea 6-4 6-4.

But again the Belarussian broke back, this time with a backhand winner down the line to make it 2-2. 2 double faulted and smashed her racquet in frustration. I just work hard, do my thing, believe in my game, work with my coach Thomas Johansson who I just started working with in December and I think it's going great. It's a bit unexpected to be honest! I just mind my own business. 15 seed Petra Kvitova in the semi-finals.