Jessica Pegula def. Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 — Cincinnati Open 2026 R16

Match recap

Jessica Pegula defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in the R16 of the Cincinnati Open 2026.

Broken back for 5-5 in the third, Pegula answered inside a game, taking the Cirstea serve again in game 11 for 6-5. Neither hold was safe — the third seed kept only 9 of her 14 service games — but she found the return one more time than the No. 15 seed did, winning 7 of 15 return games to Cirstea's 5 of 14. The Romanian saved three match points before the last of them ran out, 2h 05m after the start. Pegula had not dropped a set this week, having come through Navarro and Waltert; she gives one back and reaches the quarterfinals.

Match stats

Sorana Cirstea: 1 ace, 55% first serves, 4 double faults, 5/10 break points. Jessica Pegula: 4 aces, 67% first serves, 2 double faults, 7/14 break points.

Profiles: Sorana Cirstea · Jessica Pegula — Cincinnati Open 2026

Head-to-head

This is the first meeting between Sorana Cirstea and Jessica Pegula.