Sorana Cirstea Causes Major Upset As She Reigns Supreme Over Elena Rybakina

Romania’s Sorana Cirstea fended off a late surge from 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina to complete a 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-4 upset at the US Open.

In doing so, the 30th seed, Cirstea avenged an 0-2 record against the fourth seed and reached the fourth round in New York for the first time.

“I’m very, very happy with the win today. I’ve lost twice against her before, and she’s a very good player, No. 4 in the world, and I knew it (was) going to be a tough battle,” Cirstea said in her on-court interview. “But I’m just so happy to win this one. It’s a great moment for me.”

The 33-year-old had been 0-3 in third-round matches at the US Open (2020, 2019, 2009) and hadn’t beaten a Top 5 player since her Miami semifinal run in March. But armed with an aggressive game plan and in front of a boisterous Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd, which included Seal, Cirstea earned one of the biggest wins of her career.

“I have been playing for quite a few years, and this was the best crowd I’ve ever played in front of, so thank you,” she said. “It’s a great win for me, especially because I played well, and I really think I gave everything I had tonight, and I deserve this win.”

Cirstea broke in the fourth game of the match and served out the first set. The Romanian was hovering over the baseline and taking the ball on the rise against Rybakina, who struggled to find her best level. The fourth seed spilled 56 unforced errors to 30 winners.

But credit Cirstea, who didn’t back down against the 2023 Australian Open finalist. Cirstea finished with 33 winners to 42 unforced errors.

In the second set, the two traded breaks before Rybakina had two set points while Cirstea was serving at 5-6. But Cirstea erased them both, and Rybakina held on in the tie-break after leading 4-0.

In the third set, Rybakina broke to get back on serve at 4-5. But the Kazakh double faulted on match point.

Cirstea is through to her first Grand Slam fourth round since the 2022 Australian Open, and her fourth overall. She also reached that stage at the 2017 Australian Open and at Roland Garros in 2009.

Cirstea will next face 15th seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, who beat China’s Zhu Lin 7-6(1), 2-6, 6-3. Cirstea will try to reach her second Grand Slam quarterfinal. As a 19-year-old high school student, she reached the 2009 Roland Garros quarterfinals, falling to Sam Stosur of Australia.