Romanian tennis star Sorana Cirstea has issued a public plea for the return of the Cleveland Open trophy she won last week.
The world No.57 hit this week’s US Open in hot form, beating American Ann Li in the Tennis in the Land tournament final to win her third career singles title.
When the 35-year-old discovered that it was missing from her hotel room in New York, she put a call out to her fans on social media.
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“Whoever stole my Cleveland trophy from room 314 at The Fifty Sonesta please give it back!” Cirstea wrote.
“It has NO material value, just sentimental value!
“It would be greatly appreciated! Thank you, Sorana.”
It comes just two days after Cirstea bowed out of the US Open when she went down in three sets to Czech 11th seed, Karolina Muchova in the second round.
Cirstea was thumped 7-0 in the first-set tiebreak but rallied to win the second-set tiebreak 7-3 before coughing up the deciding set, 4-6.
Muchova, a US Open semi-finalist in 2023 and 2024, went on to win her third-round clash with fellow Czech, Linda Noskova, in three sets.
Also into the round of 16 is Ukrainian world No.28 Marta Kostyuk, while American Amanda Anismova battled to a three-set win over Romanian Jaqueline Cristian.
If Muchova can beat 27th seed Kostyuk, she will set up a date with one of Naomi Osaka or local hope Coco Gauff.
Third seed Coco Gauff faces Naomi Osaka as she attempts to win her second US Open crown. Credit: AAP The former champions have set up a high-profile showdown in a rematch of their emotional 2019 encounter.
Osaka advanced to her first fourth-round match at any major since the 2021 Australian Open by eliminating Australia’s No.15 seed Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 on Saturday.
Earlier, Gauff made it that far for a fourth consecutive year with a 6-3 6-1 victory over Poland’s No.28 Magdalena Frech while in the night match world No. 2Iga Swiatek weathered a fierce challenge from Anna Kalinskaya before prevailing 7-6 (7-2) 6-4.
In 2019 Gauff was a 15-year-old making her main-draw debut at Flushing Meadows and Japan’s Osaka was the reigning champion.
Osaka won that one in straight sets, then consoled a teary Gauff on the sideline and encouraged her to speak to an Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd that was pulling for the young American.
“I kind of see her as a little sister so it’s kind of cool to be playing her here again,” said former world No.1 Osaka.
“My recollections were that I remember just knowing that she was going to be a really great tennis player, which I was right.
“Now to be playing her again after six years, I don’t know if that makes me old, but just to be at this point of my life and to be playing her again honestly, for me, feels kind of special.”
Since then No. 3-seeded Gauff, 21, is now a two-time grand slam champion, including at the US Open in 2023.
Now ranked world No.24, Osaka, 27, owns four major titles — including at the US Open in 2018 and 2020 — has become a mother and a mental health advocate.
Meeting for the first time at the US Open since that unforgettable 2019 night, Gauff has dominated their head to head battles, winning three of their four.
“I remember it was a tough moment for me, because it was a hyped-up match and I guess I put way too much pressure on myself,” Gauff said.
“It would be a cool, kind of, deja vu type of situation but hopefully it will be a different result.”
– With AAP