Google News Transylvania Open: 'Caped Countess' Jaqueline Cristian enters pre-QF in Cluj-Napoca
by ABBEY JOHNSON
On Wednesday, when two Romanian players lost their respective second-round matches at the Transylvania Open, Jaqueline Cristian made a good start for herself. The 25-year-old defeated Switzerland’s Celine Naef 6-4, 6-4 in their clash.
Cristian needed an hour and 38 minutes to post the win. The home player won 79% of her first-serve points to her opponent’s 72%. She also fared relatively better when it came to winning second-serve points, finishing with 51% to the latter’s 48%.
Cristian faced two break points throughout the proceedings but saved them both. She also made good of the two break point chances that she got, once across each set. In the event, Cristian’s flair of wearing a vampire-like cape when she enters the court before the match has continued for the third year.
Since the tournament first began in 2021 where Cristian made her debut as a wildcard, her appearance with the cape hasn’t failed to catch the audiences’ fancy. In 2021, as a 23-year-old Cristian also advanced to the quarter-finals before losing to her higher-ranked compatriot, Simona Halep.
Now, Cristian will take on Eva Lys for a chance to play the quarter-finals here for the second time.
Transylvania Open: Patricia Maria Tig, Miriam Bulgaru bid adieu
Meanwhile, in the other first-round match, Naef’s compatriot Jil Teichmann got the better of sixth seed Yanina Wickmayer.
Teichmann won 6-4, 7-6(6) against the Belgian in an hour and 56 minutes. Among the three second-round matches that were completed, Diana Snigur was among the winners. The Ukrainian got past Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-0, 1-6, 6-4 in an hour and 38 minutes.
Snigur’s match against Friedsam was the only match that didn’t feature a Romanian. Lastly, fourth seed Rebeka Masarova and Ekaterina Makarova both beat home favourites to get to the quarter-finals. Masarova won a comeback 3-6, 7-6(8), 6-0 against Miriam Bulgaru. Makarova won against Patricia Maria Tig, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.