Shortly after achieving the surprise of the day at the Transylvania Open with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Sorana Cîrstea, the top seed of the tournament in Cluj, Eva Lys provided context for her career’s first win against a Top 30 player.
“I was really happy on the court. It’s the first time I’ve beaten a player with such a high ranking. I’m very proud of myself!” Eva (21 years old) said, before describing her tennis style: “I’m an aggressive player, I try to put pressure on my opponents, and it worked very well today.”
The German player felt honored to play against Sorana in Romania. “I knew the audience would support Sorana, that’s natural, but I felt good on the court, and I believe people appreciated my shots.”
Looking ahead to her second-round match, where she will face the winner of Jacqueline Cristian and Celine Naef, she said, “Yes, the second round at a WTA tournament like this makes me very happy. I’ve heard from many players that this is their favorite tournament, so I came to Cluj very excited. And I will certainly try to reach the quarterfinals and see where this week can take me.”
At the same time, Eva Lys is careful to temper her joy and focus on the next match: “I’ve seen enough tennis, especially women’s tennis, to know that after a big victory, there can be a weaker match. So, I will try to think more about the next match than my victory today.”
What an upset!
Eva Lys beats top seed Sorana Cîrstea in the first round of Transylvania Open.#TO2023 pic.twitter.com/bHMEetwMsC
— Transylvania Open (@TransylvaniaOpn) October 17, 2023
