On Saturday, the qualifying table for the WTA 250 UniCredit Iași Open tournament began, a competition with total prizes of 232,244 euros and 250 WTA points. Romania had 7 representatives in the first round, but only Sara Maria Popa and Gabriela Lee will play in the second round, decisive for access to the main draw.
Sara Maria Popa, 18 years old, 410th WTA place, produced the big surprise by defeating in two sets the 8th favorite of the qualifications, the Chinese You Xiaodi, world number 208, score 6-3, 6-2. Sara will play in the 2nd round of the qualifications with the Swiss Simona Waltert, 23 years old, 248th WTA.
For her part, Gabriela Talabă Lee, 28 years old, 365th WTA, passed in the first round of the qualifications by Anna Siskova, from the Czech Republic, score 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (2) and will play in the round 2 with Marie Benoit (Belgium, N. 9).
All the other 5 Romanians present on the qualification table, Cristina Dinu (31 years old, 241 WTA), Ilinca Amariei (21 years old, 372 WTA), Irina Fetecău (28 years old, 455 WTA), Andreea Prisăcariu (24 years old, 444 WTA) and Georgia Crăciun (25 years old, 585 WTA), were eliminated.
Cristina Dinu clearly won the first set with Lansere, but lost the next, 5-7 in the decider, after having 5-1! Georgia Crăciun and Andreea Prisăcariu also lost in three sets, the latter complaining of great pain in her toes in the last act.
Gabi Ruse, Irina Bara and Miriam Bulgaru play on Sunday in the first round
The main draw for singles and doubles starts on Sunday, with the decisive matches in the qualifications also scheduled, which will determine the last six players on the draw. There will also be five players from Romania on the poster of the day.
In the first match on Central, from 10.30, Sara Maria Popa will play the decisive match in the qualifications against the Swiss Waltert, after which Gabriela Talabă will try to get on the scoreboard, in the duel with the Belgian Marie Benoit.
In the third match, not before 14:00, Elena Gabriela Ruse will play against Tikhonova, and after this dispute the main favorite, Mirra Andreeva, will enter Central for the duel with the German Noma Noha Akugue (Germany). In the last match of the day on the main arena, Miriam Bulgaru and Tatjana Maria (Germany, favorite 2) will meet.
And Irina Bara will play on Sunday, in the third match on Court 5, not before 14:00, against Marina Bassols Ribera (Spain).
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Full results recorded on Saturday 20 July:
Qualifications – Round I
Maria Sara Popa (Romania) – You Xiaodi (China, No. 8) 6-3, 6-2
Sofya Lansere (No. 12) - Cristina Dinu (Romania) 1-6, 6-3, 7-5
Varvara Lepchenko (USA, N. 3) – Ilinca Amariei (Romania) 6-3, 6-2
Lea Boskovic (Croatia, N. 1) – Irina Fetecău (Romania, WC) 6-1, 5-0 withdrawal
Aliona Falei (N. 2) – Lola Radivojevic (Serbia) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Julia Avdeeva (N. 7) - Andreea Prisăcariu (Romania, WC) 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3
Marie Benoit (Belgium, No. 9) - Georgia Crăciun (Romania, WC) 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-0
Gabriela Talaba Lee (Romania) - Anna Siskova (Czech Republic) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (2)
Simona Waltert (Switzerland) - Dalila Jakupovic (Slovenia, No. 6) 6-4, 6-1
Selena Janicijevic (France, No. 4) – Irene Burillo Escorihuela (Spain) 6-2, 6-3
Gergana Topalova (Bulgaria, N. 11) - Natalia Szabanin (Hungary, WC) 7-6 (6), 1-6, 6-3
Nuria Brancaccio (Italy, No. 10) - Seone Mendez (Australia) 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
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Match schedule for Sunday, July 21:
Central Ground - Start at 10.30am
Simona Waltert (Switzerland) vs Sara Maria Popa (Romania) – Round 2 qualifications
Gabriela Talabă Lee (Romania) - Marie Benoit (Belgium, N. 9) – Round 2 qualifications
Not before 14.00
[WC] Elena Gabriela Ruse (Romania) vs Anastasia Tikhonova – Round 1 singles draw
[1] Mirra Andreeva vs Noma Noha Akugue (Germany) – Round 1 single draw
[WC] Miriam Bulgaru (Romania) vs [2] Tatjana Maria (Germany)
Field 5 – Start at 10.30 am
Aliona Falei (N. 2) vs Sofya Lansere (N. 12) – Round 2 qualifications
Lea Boskovic (Croatia, No. 1) vs. Gergana Topalova (Bulgaria, No. 11) – Round 2 Qualifiers
Not before 14.00
Marina Bassols Ribera (Spain) vs [WC] Irina Bara (Romania) – Round 1 singles draw
Aliccia Barnett (Great Britain) / Freya Christie (Great Britain) vs Maia Lumsden (Great Britain) / Anna Siskova (Czech Republic) – Round 1 Doubles
Field 6 – Start at 10.30 am
Selena Janicijevic (France, No. 4) vs. Julia Avdeeva (No. 7) – Round 2 Qualifiers
Varvara Lepchenko (USA, No. 3) vs. Nuria Brancaccio (Italy, No. 10) – Round 2 Qualifiers
Not before 14.00
[4] Anna Blinkova vs Olga Danilovic (Serbia) – Round 1 singles draw