Tennis: Sorana Cirstea qualifies for third round of Australian Open; Irina Begu eliminated

Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea has qualified for the third round of the Australian Open, while Irina Begu lost in Melbourne on Thursday in another match of the second round of the Grand Slam competition.

Sorana Cirstea (31 years old, WTA's 38) scored an easy victory, 6-2, 6-4, in front of Slovak player Kristina Kucova (31 years old, WTA's 96).

Cirstea sealed her victory after one hour and 16 minutes of playing.

Cirstea has won a cheque of 221,000 US dollars and 130 WTA points for her result in the tournament up to this point. In the third round she is set to meet Russian Anastasia Pavliucenkova (30, WTA's 11), a finalist last year at Roland Garros, who on Wednesday defeated Australian veteran Samantha Stosur, 6-2, 6-2. The score in matches between the two is equal, 3-3, but the Russian has 2-1 on hard court. Pavliucenkova won the last duel with Cirstea, in 2018, in Eastbourne (grass), 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, in the first round of the competition.

Irina Begu (31 years old, WTA's 64) got defeated by Belgian Elise Mertens (26 years old, WTA's 26), seed no. 19, 6-3, 6-2, after one hour and 15 minutes of playing.

Mertens has won both previous games with Begu in 2017, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the Fed Cup and 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals of the WTA tournament in Istanbul.

Begu won 154,000 US dollars and 70 WTA points for reaching this far in the competition.

Sorana Cirstea can be joined by Simona Halep in the third round, if the latter defeats Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia on Wednesday.