On the violet court in Cluj-Napoca, Raducanu appeared fatigued and low on vigor following her courageous struggle to overcome Oliynykova in a three-set match.
Cirstea demonstrated superior keenness right from the start, securing an early break against Raducanu and effortlessly dominating the remainder of the opening set, claiming it without conceding a game.
The Romanian held a 2-0 advantage in the second set before Raducanu managed to win her initial game. She then deliberately took a seat and requested medical assistance, getting supportive remarks from her coach.
It seemed as though Raducanu’s championship match might conclude prematurely, yet she persevered in the contest and secured the subsequent game to equalize the score.
Nevertheless, Cirstea, nearing the end of her professional tennis journey, swiftly reasserted dominance, and a double fault from Raducanu on championship point extinguished any prospects of the British player securing another senior title.
“I wasn’t feeling my best on the court today, which made it somewhat disheartening for my first final in such a long time,” Raducanu commented.
“However, I must also acknowledge that Sorana delivered an outstanding performance from the outset and exerted immense pressure on me.”
Although unaccustomed to competing in four consecutive matches, Raducanu further stated that her progression to the final represented “a positive stride forward.”
