Rebecca Peterson is on a roll, her win streak reaches 8 matches
Rebecca Peterson is back in good health and in top shape after a season during which she had several medical issues. Thanks to her win against Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, she will play her third semifinal this year, after Chicago (WTA 250) and Astana (WTA 250).
Her win streak has reached eight matches, considering she came to Cluj after the ITF tournament she won in Santa Fe (60K). As a matter of fact, the set she lost to Tsurenko was the first one she gave away in those eight encounters.
Anett Kontaveit is two victories away from WTA Finals
Transylvania Open’s no. 2 seed, Anett Kontaveit, got into semifinals winning 6-3, 6-1 against Anhelina Kalinina. She needs two more wins to secure a place in Guadalajara, but she first has to move past Rebecca Peterson, who has a similar win streak and also proves to be in great shape.
Simona Halep rolls into SFs
No. 1 seed Simona Halep left behind her back pains and got a new convincing win in Cluj. It was 6-1, 6-1 against fellow Romanian Jaqueline Cristian, who is the pleasant surprise of the tournament. Halep thus reaches her second semifinal this season after Stuttgart, back in April.
Just as in her previous match, Halep seemed untouchable today: too good in defense, too good while attacking, too good on serve and very clear in her intentions. Jaqueline Cristian tried her best to hang in there, but Halep never let her impose her game. Simona has found her consistency and her well-balanced aggressiveness, proving once more that there is little left until she reaches her usual level.
As for Cristian, her excellent route in Cluj – two wins against higher ranked players – ends here. It should only be the beginning for the young Romanian: her career is going in the right direction, her game and attitude are appropriate, so good things should come her way as she will soon enter Top 100.
Marta Kostyuk surprisingly holds off Emma Raducanu
No. 6 seed Marta Kostyuk is having a great tournament in Cluj: she won all-straight sets so far, and she reached her third semifinal this season, after Abu Dhabi (WTA 500) and Istanbul (WTA 250).
The QF duel of generation 2002 ended with Marta’s steady win, 6-2, 6-1 against no. 3 seed Emma Raducanu. This is one of Marta’s most significant victories so far, as her game proved to be almost flawless. Emma didn’t succeed in playing her best tennis this time. The Brit ended with no less than 41 unforced errors, while the Ukrainian had only 16. Marta has to overcome no. 1 seed Simona Halep if she wants to play her first final this year. This will be their second match; recently, in Indian Wells, Simona won in straight sets: 7-6, 6-1.
