Disturbed by several periods of rain, Sunday, the first of the UniCredit Iași Open tournament, ended after midnight, with two beautiful Romanian victories. Elena Gabriela Ruse and Miriam Bulgaru qualified for the round of 16 of the tournament held at the Ciric Sports Base, Miriam achieving the victory of her career, in front of the favorite 2!
Gabi Ruse beat Tikhonova in three sets
Elena Gabriela Ruse, 26 years old, 149th WTA place, qualified for the round of 16 at the UniCredit Iași Open after defeating Anastasia Tikhonova, 23 years old, world number 194, score 6-3, 5 -7, 6-1 and could play in the next phase with another Romanian, Jaqueline Cristian, favorite 3.
Also on Sunday, Irina Bara, 29 years old, 223rd WTA, was defeated in the first round by Marina Bassols Ribera, from Spain, 24 years old, world number 121, score 6-2, 6-3.
Miriam Bulgaru achieved the victory of her career in Iași!
In the last match on Court 6, finished after midnight, Miriam Bulgaru produced what may be the surprise of the tournament. Our 25-year-old athlete, ranked 206th WTA, eliminated the second favorite, German Tatjana Maria, 36 years old, world number 60, with an incredible 6-4, 6-2!
In the round of 16, Miriam will meet the winner of the Gergana Topalova (Bulgaria) - Selena Janicijevic (France) match, both from the qualifiers.
Mirra Andreeva, show of strength in the first round
The main favorite, Mirra Andreeva, also qualified in the eighth. The 17-year-old, ranked 31st WTA, put on a show of strength close to midnight against German Noma Noha Akugue, 20, world number 197, winning 6-1 in just 66 minutes. 6-2.
After Tatjana Maria, also Anna Blinkova, favorite 4, left the tournament in the first round, after being defeated by the Serbian Olga Danilovic.
Sara Maria Popa and Gabriela Talabă Lee, eliminated in the qualifications
Romania had seven representatives in the qualifiers at the UniCredit Iași Open, but none of our athletes managed to make it to the main draw. Five Romanians were eliminated in the first round, and the other two, Sara Maria Popa and Gabriela Talabă Lee, were defeated in the second round of the qualifications.
Sara Maria Popa, 18, WTA No. 410, was beaten by Switzerland's Simona Waltert, 6-0, 6-4, while Gabriela Talabă Lee, 28, world No. 365 was eliminated by Belgium's Marie Benoit, score 6-3, 6-4.
Along with Waltert and Benoit, Selena Janicijevic (France), Aliona Falei, Gergana Topalova (Bulgaria) and the American Varvara Lepchenko also qualified on Sunday.
Anca Todoni and Jaqueline Cristian play on Monday for a place in the round of 16
On Monday, the last matches of the first round in singles are scheduled, as well as matches in the doubles draw. There will also be seven players from Romania on the poster. Anca Todoni and Jaqueline Cristian will play for a place in the round of 16 with opponents from the qualifiers, and Anca will return in the evening for a doubles match, alongside Irina Bara, the two athletes going to meet another 100 percent Romanian couple, Miriam Bulgaru / Georgia Crăciun. Another Romanian pair, Cristina Dinu / Andreea Prisăcariu, will play in the last match on Court 5 on Monday. The organizers announced that Irina Begu, semi-finalist in Palermo on Saturday night, had to withdraw due to fatigue, our player having no way to reach Iași in time.

Monday evening will end with an emotional event, the retirement match of Raluca Olaru, scheduled not before 19:00, on Central.

The results of the matches on Sunday, July 21:
Qualification – Round 2
Simona Waltert (Switzerland) - Sara Maria Popa (Romania) 6-0, 6-4
Marie Benoit (Belgium) - Gabriela Talabă Lee (Romania) 6-3, 6-4
Aliona Falei - Sofya Lansere 6-4, 6-2
Gergana Topalova (Bulgaria) - Lea Boskovic (Croatia) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Selena Janicijevic (France) - Julia Avdeeva 4-6, 6-0, 6-2
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) - Nuria Brancaccio (Italy) 6-3, 6-4
Round 1
[WC] Elena Gabriela Ruse (Romania) - Anastasia Tikhonova 6-3, 5-7, 6-1
[1] Mirra Andreeva - Noma Noha Akugue (Germany) 6-1, 6-2
[WC] Miriam Bulgaru (Romania) - [2] Tatjana Maria (Germany) 6-4, 6-2
Marina Bassols Ribera (Spain) vs [WC] Irina Bara (Romania) 6-2, 6-3
Olga Danilovic (Serbia) - [4] Anna Blinkova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1

Match schedule for Monday, July 22:
Central Ground - Start time 11.00
Nuria Parrizas Diaz (Spain) vs Petra Martic (Croatia)
[Q] Aliona Falei vs Anca Todoni (Romania)
[Q] Marie Benoit (Belgium) vs [8] Anna Bondar (Hungary)
Not before 5pm
[LL] Nuria Brancaccio (Italy) vs [3] Jaqueline Cristian (Romania)
Not before 19.00
Raluca Olaru retirement match
Field 5 – Start time 11.00
[7] Maria Lourdes Carle (Argentina) vs Chloe Paquet (France)
[Q] Gergana Topalova (Bulgaria) vs [Q] Selena Janicijevic (France)
[Q] Varvara Lepchenko (USA) vs [6] Martina Trevisan (Italy)
After rest
[WC] Miriam Bulgaru (Romania) / Georgia Crăciun (Romania) vs Irina Bara (Romania) / Anca Todoni (Romania)
[4] Angelica Moratelli (Italy) / Sabrina Santamaria (USA) vs [WC] Cristina Dinu (Romania) / Andreea Prisăcariu (Romania)

Field 6 – Start time 11.00
[5] Elina Avanesyan vs Leyre Romero Gormaz (Spain)
[Q] Simona Waltert (Switzerland) vs Ekaterina Makarova
[LL] Lea Boskovic (Croatia) vs Maria Timofeeva
Dalila Jakupovic (Slovenia) / Bibiane Schoofs (Netherlands) vs Mirra Andreeva / Sofia Lansere