Tennis: Sorana Cirstea qualifies for semifinals in Istanbul (WTA)

Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea qualified on Friday for the semifinals of the WTA tournament in Istanbul, with total prizes of 235,238 dollars, after the forfeit of French Fiona Ferro.

Ferro retired for medical reasons after Cirstea won the first set 6-4 and was 40-40 in the first game of the second set.

Ferro (24 years old, the 57th in the WTA) led 3-1 and 4-2, but the Romanian won the set after four consecutive games.

Cirstea (31 years old, the 67th in the WTA) also defeated Ferro in 2017, also in Istanbul, in the first round, 6-3, 6-1.

In the penultimate act, Cirstea will face Ukrainian Marta Kostiuk (18 years old, the 85th in the WTA), who won on Friday in three sets against the Croatian Ana Konjuh, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

The Romanian secured a check for 10,100 dollars and 110 WTA points.

Another Romanian player, Ana Bogdan, will play in the quarterfinals on Friday against the 3rd seed, Russian Veronika Kudermetova.