Sorana Cirstea produced a commanding performance to beat Emma Raducanu 6-0 6-2 in the Transylvania Open final in Cluj-Napoca, denying the British No 1 a first WTA title since her 2021 US Open triumph. The crowd was divided between the home favourite Cirstea and Raducanu, whose father is Romanian.
Raducanu had worked her way through a testing draw, overcoming Greet Minnen, rallying from 5-0 down to defeat Kaja Juvan, and beating Maja Chwalinska in straight sets. A gruelling near three-hour semi-final against Oleksandra Oliynykova left her visibly drained and receiving treatment to her right shoulder ahead of the final.
That lack of energy showed from the first point. Raducanu lost her opening service game after saving five break points and was handed a 6-0 first set in just 29 minutes. She briefly steadied in the second set, breaking to love for her opening game, but then faded physically and had her blood pressure checked by the tournament doctor. The experienced 35-year-old Cirstea, playing in the final season of her career, regrouped and closed out the victory.
Raducanu thanked the crowd afterwards, saying she had felt at home in Cluj-Napoca and apologising that she could not produce her best on the day, while congratulating Cirstea on an “incredible week”. Cirstea paid tribute to her coach Alexis Canter and the supporters, noting it had been a long time since she last reached a final.
Commentator Jonathan Overend described the match as “a day to forget” for Raducanu, suggesting the taxing semi-final left her with little left to offer. Former coach Miles Maclagan pointed to a combination of factors but framed the week as a positive step, saying Raducanu needs more matches in the bank to build consistency and confidence in her body and decision-making.
Raducanu will head to the Qatar Open, where she is due to meet qualifier Camila Osorio in the first round.
Elsewhere on tour, Katie Boulter claimed the Ostrava Open title with a 5-7 6-2 6-1 win over Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch. The 29-year-old lost a tight opening set before rattling off 12 of the next 15 games to seal the victory in exactly two hours. The triumph lifts Boulter 36 places to world No 84 and is her fourth WTA crown, and her second hard-court title following San Diego in 2024. Boulter, who has worked with coach Michael Joyce since the start of the year, said the win was the reward for hard work after a difficult period, and Maclagan praised her ability to dictate play when on the front foot.
At the Abu Dhabi Open, Czech qualifier Sara Bejlek captured a surprise first WTA Tour title, defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (7-5) 6-1. The 20-year-old will jump from No 101 into the top 50 following the result.