Irina Begu has advanced in the WTA 1000 Rome Masters tournament, qualifying for the round of 16, after defeating the 30th seed Elise Mertens from Belgium.
The match lasted very shortly, only one hour and 20 minutes, following a very decisive 6-2, 6-0 victory by the athlete born in Bucharest, who is experiencing a nice return to form.
Begu, ranked 161st in the WTA at 33 years old, will face in the round of 16 the winner of the Collins - Garcia match, which will take place today in Rome at 5:30 PM. It is currently 3-2 in the overall score between the two opponents, with Begu securing two consecutive victories against Mertens (seeded 27th here at the Foro Italico), after previously defeating her at the US Open 2022.
In Rome, in this tournament, she has also defeated Rebecca Masarova from Spain and Oceane Dodin from France.