Guo survives match points to turn the contest around
Guo Hanyu defeated Sorana Cirstea 1–6, 7–6(6), 7–5 at the Wuhan Open on October 13, saving three match points in a first-round comeback that lasted two hours and 41 minutes.
Guo trailed by a set and 4–0 before recovering to force a second-set tiebreak. After taking that breaker, she completed the turnaround in a deciding set that also went beyond 10 games.
The WTA said the victory was the biggest of Guo’s career by opponent ranking. Cirstea, the tournament’s 12th seed, was ranked No. 16, while Guo entered at No. 240. It was Guo’s second singles victory at WTA 1000 level.
Guo has already achieved a major breakthrough in doubles this season. In July, she and Kristina Mladenovic won Wimbledon, defeating Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani 6–3, 7–5 in the final. That result brought Guo her first Grand Slam trophy.
Their Wimbledon run included straight-set victories over the top seeds in the quarterfinals and the second seeds in the final. The Wuhan win added a notable singles result to a year already distinguished by that doubles title.
Tuesday’s victory set up a second-round meeting with qualifier Katie Volynets, who also needed three sets to advance. Guo’s recovery against Cirstea showed how close she came to leaving the tournament before earning that next opportunity.