Exciting times are announcing ahead in Cluj after the main draw of Transylvania Open was set. Over the course of a week, an exciting mix of players – some valuable and experienced, some just starting out, some looking to regain their form or needing matches on their feet – will battle it out for the Transylvania Open trophy.
Similar to the first edition, we have a Grand Slam winner and a Grand Slam finalist on the Main Draw. Barbora Krejcikova, Roland Garros 2021 winner, is the No. 1 seed at Transylvania Open 2022, followed by Anhelina Kalinina, Ana Bogdan, Anastasia Potapova, Marta Kostyuk, Magda Linette, Xiyu Wang and Ana Bondar. The Grand Slam finalist is Genie Bouchard, who received a wild card for the Main Draw.
How does the Main Draw look like
Barbora Krejcikova starts the tournament facing Dalma Galfi, 24, double Junior Grand Slam winner. The two have only met once so far, in 2020 at the ITF (100K) in Dubai, with the Czech winning. Krejcikova, who recently won her first WTA title in a year, is “surrounded” by all four Romanian players, Irina Bara, Jaqueline Cristian, Ana Bogdan, and Gabriela Ruse.
In the next round, Krejcikova could meet Irina Bara, who plays against the Spanish Nuria Parrizas Diaz.
On the same side of the Main Draw we also find Ana Bogdan, who has arrived in Cluj in a great form. Ana will start against Jule Niemeier, whom she has never met before. If the seedings are respected, Ana could face Marta Kostyuk and Barbora Krejcikova on the way to a new WTA final.
On the same upper side of the Main Draw, considering the non-seeded players who should be watched carefully, we have Dayana Yastremska and Laura Siegemund. By the age of 22, Yastremska has built a strong reputation in the circuit, winning three WTA titles and climbing as high as No. 21; the Ukrainian is considered one of the most aggressive players on the circuit – and this aggressiveness often captivates. Yastremska will debut in Cluj against a player coming from the qualifiers and could meet Ana Bogdan in the quarterfinals.
German Laura Siegemund is a player known to the Romanian public. With a strong career so far, always creative and displaying spectacular shots, Laura is a Grand Slam quarterfinalist (Roland Garros 2020) and winner of some important WTA tournaments.
She will face Romanian Gabriela Ruse, who is hungry for victories after a complicated period. Gabi received a wild card for the Main Draw.
After a long pause, caused by a knee injury, Jaqueline Cristian is determined to come back stronger in Cluj; in the first round she is facing No. 7 seed Wang Xiyu.
The lower side of the Main Draw is equally captivating. Here we have No. 2 seed Anhelina Kalinina, who has a tough match in the first round against Eugenie Bouchard. Striving to come back, Genie could have a great tournament thanks to her experience at the highest level.
Anastasia Potapova has a difficult first match in Cluj, facing a player on the rise: at 22 years old, Ann Li has climbed into Top 50, played a WTA final and displays a very solid game. If she goes through, Potapova could run into another player with an interesting game, Viktorija Golubic (vs. Diane Parry in the first round). And if things go well for her, the No. 4 seed is projected to meet in the quarterfinals No. 8 seed Ana Bondar, who debuts against a player coming from the qualifiers.
Strong matches in the first round: Gabriela Ruse vs. Laura Siegemund; Anhelina Kalinina vs. Eugenie Bouchard; Anastasia Potapova vs. Ann Li; Ana Bogdan vs. Jule Niemeier.
