On Saturday, the first day of the Transylvania Open, the draw for the 2023 edition of the Cluj tournament took place. Sorana Cîrstea is the top seed of the tournament, followed by Alicia Parks, Greet Minnen, Rebeka Masarova, and Ana Bogdan, and the draw has given us an attractive lineup.
“This tournament is at much higher standards than a WTA 250. Everything is exemplary, and I am very proud, just like the other Romanian athletes, of what has been achieved here. (…) I asked my coach to plan in such a way that I arrive in Cluj in the best possible shape. I sincerely hope to stay here until the final, if possible. It’s a strong tournament, and I believe there will be beautiful matches, and the audience will have a lot to see. I’m very excited to be here with you in Cluj,” Sorana Cîrstea said at the press conference held on the court after the draw.
Sorana will open against Eva Lys. On her side of the draw, there are also two Romanian players: Jaqueline Cristian and Patricia Țig.
Even without the last-minute withdrawals of Caroline Garcia and Donna Vekic, Sorana Cîrstea was already considered one of the favorites at the Transylvania Open and one of the most in-form players present in Cluj. Sorana is coming off one of her best seasons – with WTA 1000 quarterfinals and semifinals, and a quarterfinal appearance at the US Open. A good result in Cluj, as she herself stated, would be a fitting conclusion to an outstanding season.
Sorana has a good chance of going far at the Transylvania Open, but although everything looks promising on paper, there are plenty of dangerous players with excellent tennis skills in the draw.
If she gets past Eva Lys, a 21-year-old player from Germany who is nearing the top 100 (currently ranked 119th on the WTA), Sorana’s next opponent could be Jaqueline Cristian, who starts the tournament against Celine Naef, whom she defeated a few days ago in Rouen in the second round. The potential Romanian duel between Sorana and Jaqueline (the second one after Jaq’s win in 2019 in Bucharest) is already highly anticipated in Cluj.
On their side of the draw, there are also Greet Minnen, the third seed, who opens against Daria Snigur, Kateryna Baindl (vs. a player from the qualifiers), and Jodie Burrage, the eighth seed, who starts against Ankita Raina.
Names to watch out for – even though they are not seeded – on this side of the draw are Patricia Țig, Kaia Kanepi, and Anna-Lena Friedsam. All three of these players have had significant careers with impressive achievements, including WTA titles, top 30 rankings, and Grand Slam quarterfinals – and very importantly, all three are making comebacks after injuries or long breaks. Because they are so valuable and, therefore, dangerous, they can have a deep run at the Transylvania Open.
Patricia Țig will start the Transylvania Open against a player from the qualifiers, while Kaia Kanepi and Anna-Lena Friedsam will face each other in what is, on paper, the most evenly matched and spectacular match in the first round in Cluj.
Kaia Kanepi is dangerous in any circumstances, capable of achieving truly great things. Her presence in Cluj is special for two major reasons. First: it’s a great opportunity for the audience to witness those overwhelming and powerful shots that have intimidated many of her opponents. Second: the fact that such a highly ranked player (former top 15 WTA, 4 WTA titles, 7 Grand Slam quarterfinals) is finally coming to Cluj is delightful because you don’t get the chance to see hits like Kaia’s up close every day.
Moving to the lower part of the draw, we find Ana Bogdan, the fifth seed, who will play in the first round against Viktoriya Tomova. In the second round, Ana could meet Dayana Yastremska (vs. Nikola Bartunkova in the first round). In the quarterfinals, Ana – much loved in Cluj – could potentially face Rebeka Masarova, the fourth seed.
On this side of the draw, there’s also Yanina Wickmayer, who will open against Jil Teichmann (another evenly matched game), as well as Alicia Parks and Gabriela Ruse, the last two set to play against each other – all while being doubles partners. It won’t be an easy match for either Parks, who is the second seed in Cluj and has a game suitable for indoor hard conditions, and she loves to play in such conditions, or for Gabriela, who is in a comeback process and has always had a special energy in Cluj. Gabriela will have to face a very aggressive player with powerful shots and an extraordinary serve. And Parks will have to contend with the crowd and Gabriela’s unwavering tenacity, which she has consistently shown whenever she has played in Cluj.
