Tennis: Jaqueline Cristian qualifies for quarterfinals of Palermo (WTA) tournament

Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian qualified for the quarterfinals of the WTA tournament in Palermo (Italy), equipped with total prizes of 189,708 euros, after defeating Chinese Qinwen Zheng, in two sets, 6-1, 6-4, on Wednesday evening. Cristian (23 years old, WTA's 159) sealed her victory after an hour and 26 minutes of playing, against an opponent who had defeated seed no. 2 Russian Liudmila Samsonova in the first round of the competition. The Romanian had also won her first match against Zheng (18 years old, WTA's 171), in 2019, in the first round of an ITF tournament in Rome, 6-3, 6-2. Jaqueline Cristian won a cheque of 4,677 euros and 60 WTA points, and in the quarterfinals she will meet French Oceane Dodin (24 years old, WTA's 120), seed no. 6, who defeated, 7-6 (7), 6 -4, Russian Vitalia Diatchenko. Dodin won the only direct match with Cristian, last year, in Macon (France), in the quarterfinals, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Also on Wednesday, Elena Gabriela Ruse qualified for the quarterfinals, without playing, after the withdrawal of Swiss Jil Teichmann, following to meet Italian Lucia Bronzetti in this stage of the competition, who defeated, 6-3, 6-1, American Grace Min. It will be the first match between Ruse and Bronzetti (22 years old, WTA's 190). If they win in the quarterfinals, Cristian and Ruse will meet in the semifinals. Gabriela Ruse qualified for the quarterfinals of the doubles event on Wednesday, alongside Serbian Olga Danilovic, after scoring 6-2, 6-7 (4), 10-6 against Maddison Inglis (Australia)/Samantha Murray Sharan (UK), after one hour and 45 minutes of playing. Ruse and Danilovic won a cheque of 1,854 euros and 60 WTA doubles points, and will play in the quarterfinals against Erin Routliffe (New Zealand)/Kimberley Zimmermann (Belgium), seeded 4th. AGERPRES (RO - editor: Mihai Tenea, EN - author: Cristina Zaharia, editor: Adina Panaitescu)