Only anastasia pavlyuchenkova

Only Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: Sorana Cirstea on Tuesday secured a stunning straight-sets win over former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko to reach the semifinals of the Italian Open 2026 for the first time in her career.

The 36-year-old Romanian delivered one of her best performances this season, defeating Ostapenko 6-1, 7-6(0) in just one hour and 31 minutes. This victory highlights her impressive run in Rome. Cirstea dominated the first set, winning it 6-1 as Ostapenko struggled with her aggressive baseline play and consistency. The Latvian fought back in the second set, breaking Cîrstea’s serve twice to lead 4-2 and then 5-3. It looked like she might force a third set.

However, Cirstea remained calm under pressure, breaking back twice. She then delivered a perfect tiebreak, winning without losing a single point.