In the opening set, each competitor experienced three service breaks, yet Boulter asserted control during the tie-break, securing an initial lead.
Boulter showed marked enhancement in the subsequent set, achieving a 78% success rate on her serves, a considerable rise from the 51% recorded in the first set.
This triumph arrived as a welcome relief following a less-than-stellar performance throughout the summer months.
The athlete, aged 29, entered this contest following a sequence of five first-round exits in her previous seven tournament appearances, which led to her dropping behind Sonay Kartal in the national rankings, making her the third-ranked British player.
Cirstea overturned an initial setback to overcome Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima with scores of 2-6, 6-4, and 6-2, thereby arranging her encounter against Boulter.
Naomi Osaka, the tournament’s leading seed, advanced comfortably into the second stage, achieving a dominant victory over Sonobe Wakana with scores of 6-0 and 6-4.
