Ending the 2010 season ranked No. 93 in the world in single and No. 86 in doubles, Romania's Sorana Cirstea is a former Top 25 singles player with four career WTA titles - three in doubles.
Success on the ITF circuit saw her achieve a year-end ranking of No. 106 at the end of the 2007 season, just one year after turning pro. Early in 2008, she reached the quarterfinals at Acapulco to enter the Top 100 for the first time, then reached the finals at Bucharest, the second round of the French Open and the quarterfinals of s'Hertogenbosch to climb into the top 75. Her first tour victory came at Tashkent, propelling her into the Top 40, where she would finish the year at No. 37.
She stayed inside the top 50 in 2009, compiling a 21-24 tour record highlighted by a semifinal appearance at Marabella and a stunning quarterfinal trip at the French Open featuring upset wins over No. 10 Caroline Wozniacki and No. 5 Jelena Jankovic. She beat Wozniacki again on her way to the semifinals at Los Angeles, then lost to her in the third round of the US Open. Peaking at No. 23 in the rankings, she fell back at year's end by suffering five straight first-round defeats after Flushing Meadows.
The backslide continued in 2010 as Cirstea started the season 1-7 and did not advance past the third round until reaching the semifinals in Estoril in May. It was not a quick fix, however, as she lost int he first round at both Paris and Wimbledon, plunging in the rankings and temporarily falling out of the Top 100 before a year-end rally at Las Vegas.
Sorana Cirstea
Sorana Cirstea
Sorana Cirstea
Sorana Cirstea
Sorana Cirstea
Sorana Cirstea
Sorana Cirstea
Sorana Cirstea
Sorana Cirstea vs Victoria Azarenka 1/9
Sorana Cirstea gets photography tips from Tom Oldham
