The Rome 1000 tournament has just begun, and the first major blowout in the women’s singles draw has already arrived—delivered by 19-year-old Russian star Mirra Andreeva.
Just days after falling to Kostyuk in the Madrid final, doubts lingered over whether Andreeva could quickly shake off the disappointment. Her first-round opponent, Croatia’s Fruhvirtova (referred to as Ruzic in some reports), might have seen an opportunity. But the young Russian quickly proved otherwise, showing a completely refreshed mindset and making it clear the Madrid loss was already behind her.
Andreeva’s performance against Ruzic was nothing short of dominant. She dropped just one game and wrapped up the match in 58 minutes, crafting the first bagel and breadstick of the Rome singles competition. Fans immediately dubbed her display a mix of “crushing dominance” and “Andreeva speed.”
From the opening set, Andreeva stormed into a 4-0 lead before Ruzic could even settle. Though the Croatian briefly stabilized in the fifth game, hoping to turn the match into a thriller, Andreeva’s relentless baseline precision and serve returns proved too much. The set ended 6-1 in Andreeva’s favor with a breadstick-like blow.
The second set started with hopes that Ruzic would come out fighting, but Andreeva simply amplified her aggression. She neutralized Ruzic’s attempts to change pace with slice shots and ran away with the set 6-0, sealing the match in dominant fashion.
With this win, Andreeva tied Elena Rybakina for the most WTA main-draw wins in the 2026 season so far: 27 victories apiece, a record shared by the two stars.
Meanwhile, China’s Zheng Qinwen advanced to the third round after a two-set win over Spain’s Bucsa (6-2, 6-2), but the victory came with emotional turbulence. The first set was tightly contested, and during the tiebreak, Zheng lost focus briefly. She managed to win the tiebreak and then cruised through the second set, but the real story unfolded afterward.
Zheng was seen in tears at the changeover after the first set. She explained that she had complained to the chair umpire about security personnel walking around the court during the tiebreak, distracting her. The umpire, identified as Croatian official Cihack, dismissed her complaint. Zheng later said, “I recalled a similar situation that affected my performance and cost me a match. That moment brought back the past, and I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I felt like the umpire was being too strict with me, while other officials would have reminded the staff. It made me feel targeted.”
Fans quickly identified the umpire as Cihack, a high-profile official who has presided over Grand Slam finals and the WTA Finals. Some noted that Zheng’s frustration may have stemmed from previous encounters with the same official.
Despite the tears, Zheng regrouped and sealed her place in the next round. The Chinese No. 2 will look to build on this win as the Rome tournament progresses, while Andreeva continues her impressive run with her 27th victory of the season.
