Mutua Madrid Open: Halep, Cirstea and Begu through to the last sixteen round

Romanian tennis player Simona Halep qualified on Tuesday to the last sixteen round of Mutua Madrid Open, with prizes amounting to USD 5,439,350, after defeating Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (2) in one hour and 55 minutes. Halep had a remarkable comeback in the third set from 2-5 to reach the tiebreak, which she won 7-2.

In the next round Halep will face Samantha Stosur (33, 26^th WTA), who defeated Mariana Duque-Marino (Columbia), cu 6-3, 7-5.

Sorana Cirstea (27, 83^rd WTA) also qualified to the last sixteen round after defeating on Tuesday Catherine Bellis (US – 18, 55^th WTA) 6-3, 6-2. In the next round she will face Misaki Doi (Japan).

The third Romanian tennis player qualified to the next round is Irina Begu (26, 36^th WTA), who defeated Johanna Larsson (Sweden – 28, 57^th WTA) 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3.In the next round she will face Kiki Bertens (Netherlands).

For reaching the last sixteen round, the players will collect 120 WTA points and a cheque worth EUR 68,010.

In the men’s competition, Marius Copil (26, 104 ATP) was defeated on Tuesday by world number one Andy Murray 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 24 minutes. Although defeated, Copil will climb to ATP top 100.

Begu and Halep reach doubles quarter-finals

Irina Begu and Simona Halep have qualified to the doubles quarter-finals after defeating 6-2, 7-5 the pair made up by Nao Hibino (Japan)/Alicja Rosolska (Poland) on Tuesday. The match lasted 63 minutes, and the Romanian pair succeeded a remarkable comeback in the second set. Begu and Halep secured 215 WTA points in the doubles and a cheque for EUR 40,740. In the next round they will face Sania Mirza (India)/Iaroslava Șvedova (Kazakhstan), which defeated Monica Niculescu/Christina McHale 6-1, 7-5.