Rome, May 9 (IANS) Sorana Cirstea produced one of the biggest upsets of the season after battling back from a set and a break down to defeat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 and advance to the Round of 16 at the Italian Open 2026 in Rome on Saturday.

The victory marked the first win of Cirstea’s career over a reigning world No. 1 and extended a remarkable late-career run for the Romanian veteran, who had announced earlier this year that the 2026 season would be the final campaign of her two-decade professional career.

Playing at the Foro Italico, Sabalenka looked firmly in control during the opening stages and appeared set for another routine victory after racing through the first set and moving 2-0 ahead in the second. The Belarusian had not dropped a set against Cirstea in any of their previous meetings, including a straight-sets victory in Brisbane earlier this year.

However, the momentum shifted dramatically as Sabalenka’s intensity dipped and Cirstea began dictating rallies with aggressive baseline play and clever variation. The Romanian gradually settled into the contest, breaking serve repeatedly to level the match and push the top seed into a tense decider.

Cirstea continued to apply pressure in the third set, where she broke Sabalenka three times during a gripping finish. The world No. 1 also required a medical timeout midway through the set for treatment to her lower back as the physical battle intensified.

After two hours and 14 minutes, Cirstea completed the comeback to register the most significant win of her season and only the third defeat suffered by Sabalenka in 2026. It also marked the Belarusian’s earliest tournament exit in more than a year, with her last defeat before the quarter-finals coming in Dubai in 2025.

The Romanian, currently ranked No. 27, has enjoyed a resurgent campaign in what is expected to be her farewell season. Earlier this year, she lifted the fourth singles title of her career on home soil in Cluj-Napoca and has now compiled an impressive win-loss record across the season.

Despite the emotional nature of the victory, Cirstea suggested retirement plans remain unchanged for now, joking that only a tournament title in Rome might force her to reconsider.

She will next face 13th seed Linda Noskova, who progressed to the fourth round with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova. A win in the next round would send Cirstea into the Rome quarter-finals for the first time in her career.

–IANS

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