Romania : Emma Raducanu’s bid for her first WTA title since her historic 2021 US Open triumph ended in disappointment as she suffered a heavy straight-sets defeat to Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in the Transylvania Open final.
Playing in front of a passionate home crowd, third seed Cirstea delivered a dominant performance to beat the British top seed 6-0, 6-2 in just over an hour, claiming the fourth WTA title of her career and capping a memorable week in Cluj-Napoca .
Raducanu, contesting her first final since the US Open in 2021, appeared physically drained after a gruelling semi-final win just 24 hours earlier. She struggled to find rhythm, conceding multiple service breaks and managing only one winner in the opening set, which she lost in just 30 minutes .
The 21-year-old showed brief resistance in the second set, breaking Cirstea once and taking a medical timeout, but the Romanian quickly regained control with aggressive baseline play and relentless pressure. Cirstea closed out the match by winning the final four games, delighting the home supporters and underlining her experience at 35 years of age .
Despite the loss, the tournament marked a positive step forward for Raducanu, who reached her first final in nearly five years and showed signs of renewed confidence earlier in the week. “It’s been a really encouraging week overall,” Raducanu said after the match, while praising Cirstea’s level and thanking the crowd for their support — as reported by BBC Sport.
For Cirstea, the victory represents a special moment in what she has indicated could be her final season on tour, securing a title in front of her home fans and reaffirming her place among Romania’s most successful tennis players.
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