The Romanian-Spanish pair Monica Niculescu/Cristina Bucşa spectacularly qualified for the round of 16 of the women's doubles event at the Roland Garros tennis tournament, today, after beating the Americans Sofia Kenin/Bethanie Mattek-Sands 2-6 , 6-4, 11-9.
Monica Niculescu, good progress in the doubles event at Roland Garros. Photo EPA EFE
Monica Niculescu and the player born in Chisinau needed almost three hours of play (2 h 58 min) to win the Parisian tower. The two, who were coming after the title (WTA 500) won in Strasbourg, wasted three match points in the tiebreak of the decisive set, at 9-6, being tied (9-9), but they managed to decide the fate of the match in front of favorites number 14.
Niculescu and Bucşa secured a check for 43,500 euros and 240 WTA points in doubles. The opponents in the eighth will be the winners of the duel between the main favorites, Su-Wei Hsieh (Taiwan)/Elise Mertens (Belgium), and Emma Navarro (USA)/Diana Şnaider (Russia).
Also scheduled today is the match in the first round between the Romanians Ana Bogdan/Jaqueline Cristian and the couple Amina Anşba (Russia)/Anastasia Detiuc (Czech Republic), “lucky loser” after the withdrawal of the Italians Elisabetta Cocciaretto/Martina Trevisan, while Gabi Ruse and Marta Kostiuk will play tomorrow in the second round. In singles, Romania no longer has a representative.
