Quarterfinal action at the French Open gets underway on Tuesday, starting with a showdown on the women’s side between Mirra Andreeva and Sorana Cirstea.
Andreeva is playing in her third consecutive quarterfinal at Roland Garros, while Cirstea has not advanced this far in Paris since 2009.
Upsets have been plentiful in both the men’s and women’s draws throughout this French Open fortnight, but Andreeva vs. Cirstea is by no means a surprising quarterfinal matchup.
Both women are playing great and have a history of success on this kind of stage, so this promises to be a competitive and high-quality contest. At stake is a Grand Slam semifinal berth and a meeting with either Elina Svitolina or Marta Kostyuk.
Mirra Andreeva vs. Sorana Cirstea betting picks and predictions
Sorana Cirstea +2.5 games (-110)
At 36 years old, Cirstea is turning back the clock – evoking memories of her 19-year-old self that played in the 2009 Roland Garros quarterfinals.
Although the age at which she is doing it may be somewhat eye-opening, the Romanian’s run certainly hasn’t come out of nowhere. She has impressed all season long, posting results such as a title at the Transylvania Open (defeating Emma Raducanu in the final), a semifinal run in Rome and a semifinal effort in Rouen.
Cirstea is showing no signs of slowing down in Paris. She has not dropped a single set through four rounds, three of her set scores have been by 6-0 margins and only one set has been more competitive than 6-3.
Andreeva is a sizable favorite, but she was an even bigger favorite in the quarterfinals 12 months ago. That’s when the Russian lost to upstart Frenchwoman Lois Boisson in straight sets. Even this season, with another year of experience under her belt, Andreeva has lost a handful of matches from winning positions.
This appears to be a more even matchup than the odds suggest. Cirstea should be able to cover the +2.5 game spread, and this is a match she can even win outright – making the money line an intriguing play, as well.
Over 22.5 games (-120)
Andreeva may be the more accomplished player in this matchup, but she cannot be expected to win while completely avoiding drama. That’s just not what Andreeva does.
The 19-year-old has already played one three-set match this fortnight, battling past little-known Spaniard Marina Bassols Ribera in the second round. Two of her final three matches in Rome went to a third set, including a wild match won by Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals.
Cirstea has been advancing in straightforward fashion, but she also hasn’t been tested by elite competition. World No. 68 Solana Sierra is the highest-ranked opponent Cirstea has faced.
Their only previous head-to-head meeting resulted in a 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-2 scoreline (won by Andreeva) in the Linz quarterfinals less than two months ago.
Another three-set marathon between Andreeva and Cirstea would be no surprise. Even a two-set match, though, could very well exceed a modest 22.5 number.
Most aces - Sorana Cirstea (-150)
Andreeva has established herself as one of the best players in the world by playing impeccable baseline tennis. She does not overpower opponents with huge serving like Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, but she doesn’t have to.
When you have confidence in your all-court game, you don’t have to take high risks with your serve and can instead focus on simply putting a high percentage of first serves in the court.
Cirstea is not a big server either, but she wins more free points with that shot than Andreeva. The world No. 18 has fired 10 aces to Andreeva’s four through four rounds of the French Open.
It’s also worth noting that Cirstea has generally played shorter matches, so it’s especially impressive that she has out-aced her opponent by six. Heading into the quarterfinals,
Cirstea is averaging 0.31 aces per serving game; Andreeva is averaging just 0.11.
Mirra Andreeva vs. Sorana Cirstea odds
Mirra Andreeva | -188 |
Sorana Cirstea | +150 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
