Romanian tennis player Irina Begu on Thursday advanced to the round of 32 of the women’s singles event at the WTA 1,000 Mutua Madrid Open, prize pool 7,705,780 euros, while compatriots Sorana Cirstea and Ana Bogdan lost in the round of 64, write Agerpres.
Begu, 32, world number 35, defeated Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, 6-4 7-5, after almost two hours of play (1:53).
In the first set, Begu broke away at 4-1 and managed to win 6-4, although Muchova, 26, world number 52, came close at one point at 4-3. In the second set, Begu and Muchova alternated in the lead, but the Romanian managed a break at 5-5.
The only previous match between the two players ended with Begu’s win, in 2019, in the second round of the French Open at Roland Garros, 1-6 6-3 6-4.
In the round of 32, Begu will play Shelby Rogers, with this meet being their fourth so far. The Romanian’s only victory came this year in the first round of the Adelaide Nationals, 3-6 7-6 (7/5) 6-1. The American prevailed in 2016, in the round of 16 at Roland Garros, 6-3 6-4, and in 2021, in round three of the BNP Paribas Open tournament at Indian Wells, 6-0 6-2.
For her performance at Madrid Open, Begu won 48,835 euros and 65 WTA singles points.
