Sorana Cîrstea and Anna Kalinskaya are the champions of the Double Sample of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid, after they have managed to win, in Supertiebreak, the final disputed from the pairs of Veronika Kudertova and Elise Mertens, with score 6-7 (10), 6-2, 12-10.
Sorana Cîrstea and Anna Kalinskaya, perfectly traveled in the capital of Spain. Photo Getty Images
The Romanian-Russian team imposed, after two hours and 17 minutes of passionate and very balanced play. In the first set, both pairs were alternatively at the leadership, reaching the tiebreak. Our player and her partner had 4 set balls, but the opponents resisted and won by 12-10.
Cîrstea and Kalinskaya began the second set, seeming that the loss of the debut round affected their morale. However, from 0-2, the Romanian and Russianic did not leave any ranges to the opponents, imposing themselves with 6-2.
Have imposed themselves in Supertibreak
In Supertiebreak, the Russian-Belgian pair was leading most of the time, with 4-2 and 6-3, but Sorana and Anna returned and equalized. Then Cîrstea and Kalinskaya had a match ball, but the duel balanced and the opponents managed to return. Finally, our athlete’s team canceled a match ball of the opponents and broke away at 12-10, winning the trophy.
Sorana Cîrstea and Anna Kalinskaya played in Madrid for the first time together and gave all the calculations over her head. On the way to the trophy, they eliminated the favorite number 1 and 3. The two players will be rewarded with a prize of 400,000 euros and will receive 1,000 points in the WTA Double. Thus, Sorana will make a jump of 722 places, up to the 82nd position. She had 55 points before this tournament.
It all started from a play
For the Romanian, this is the first victory in the double final of a WTA 1000 tournament. So far, she had played another 10 times with the trophy on the table, winning 5 times. The latest “Data” victory in 2019, when he won, along with Andreea Mitu, in Lugano.
“We were never expecting to win this title. I told Anna to play a match together and here we are with trophies in her arms. Anna, thank you for this tournament, never in my career I have had so well on the tennis court. I won this match due to you, thank you. said Sorana Cîrstea immediately after lifting the champion trophy.
