Irina Begu went through a strange situation in the second round of the tournament in Rome.
Begu was supposed to face Elena Rybakina, the reigning champion and world number four, but a few hours before the start of the match the player from Kazakhstan announced her withdrawal.
Read also: Rybakina withdrew before the match with Irina Begu
The organizers of the Rome Open moved quickly and found another opponent for Irina, the Frenchwoman Ocean Dodin (73 WTA).
Dodin, from the position of lucky loser, started the game well with Begu and took the lead 2-0, having the opportunity to distance himself to three games on his own serve. However, Irina came back strong and won the next five games, before Dodin retired from the match.
Begu thus advances to the third round of the tournament in Rome, where she will meet Elise Mertens (30 WTA). The Belgian defeated Katerina Siniakova in the second round, score 6-1, 6-4.
Top opponent for Cristian and Cîrstea
Apart from Irina Begu, two more Romanians qualified in the third round of the tournament in Rome.
Sorana Cîrstea will meet the Czech Marketa Vondrousova (6th WTA) in the sixteenth round, while Jaqueline Cristian will face Coco Gauff (3rd WTA).
Tags: Irina Begu benefits withdrawal space hours qualifies Rome
