Romania’s Sorana Cirstea capped her Cleveland campaign in style, defeating American Ann Li to lift the 2025 Tennis in the Land trophy.
Cirstea Makes Her Intentions Clear With Commanding First Set
Backed by her trademark forehand and aggressive baseline rhythm, Cirstea looked every bit the seasoned competitor who first turned professional in 2006. With two singles and five doubles titles already in her résumé, a career-high ranking of No. 21, and a Grand Slam quarterfinal to her name, the Romanian has long proven her staying power. After working her way back from injury, Cleveland marked both a statement of resilience and a reminder of her enduring quality.
On the other side of the net, Ann Li gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about—though not in the opening set, where Cirstea made her intentions clear. The Romanian dominated early and took it 6-2.
Cirstea vs Li – Set 1 Stats
| Statistic | Cirstea | Li |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 1.45 | 0.69 |
| Serve Rating | 283 | 230 |
| Aces | 1 | 2 |
| Double Faults | 0 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 48% (12/25) | 84% (16/19) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 75% (9/12) | 56% (9/16) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 59% (10/17) | 38% (3/8) |
| Break Points Saved | 100% (2/2) | 0% (0/2) |
| Service Games | 100% (4/4) | 50% (2/4) |
| Ace % | 4% | 10.5% |
| Double Fault % | 0% | 0% |
| Return Rating | 257 | 66 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 44% (7/16) | 25% (3/12) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 63% (5/8) | 41% (7/17) |
| Break Points Won | 100% (2/2) | 0% (0/2) |
| Return Games | 50% (2/4) | 0% (0/4) |
| Pressure Points | 100% (4/4) | 0% (0/4) |
| Service Points | 60% (15/25) | 42% (8/19) |
| Return Points | 58% (11/19) | 40% (10/25) |
| Total Points | 59% (26/44) | 41% (18/44) |
| Max Points In A Row | 5 | 4 |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Service Games | 100% (4/4) | 50% (2/4) |
| Return Games | 50% (2/4) | 0% (0/4) |
| Total Games | 75% (6/8) | 25% (2/8) |
| Max Games In A Row | 5 | 1 |
| Injury Timeouts | 0 | 0 |
| Set 1 Duration | 0h 35m | |
Cirstea Survives Fierce Fightback in Tight Second SetThe American, whose versatile all-court game and calm under pressure have fueled her steady climb on tour, battled her way into the final with grit and composure. After dropping the first set, Li staged a comeback in the second.
Cirstea vs Li – Set 2 Stats
| Statistic | Cirstea | Li |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 1.61 | 0.62 |
| Serve Rating | 294 | 243 |
| Aces | 0 | 0 |
| Double Faults | 0 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 50% (15/30) | 52% (22/42) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 73% (11/15) | 73% (16/22) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 71% (10/14) | 39% (7/18) |
| Break Points Saved | 100% (2/2) | 86% (6/7) |
| Service Games | 100% (5/5) | 80% (4/5) |
| Ace % | 0% | 0% |
| Double Fault % | 0% | 2.4% |
| Return Rating | 122 | 56 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 27% (6/22) | 27% (4/15) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 61% (11/18) | 29% (4/14) |
| Break Points Won | 14% (1/7) | 0% (0/2) |
| Return Games | 20% (1/5) | 0% (0/5) |
| Pressure Points | 33% (3/9) | 67% (6/9) |
| Service Points | 73% (22/30) | 57% (24/42) |
| Return Points | 43% (18/42) | 27% (8/30) |
| Total Points | 56% (40/72) | 44% (32/72) |
| Max Points In A Row | 7 | 4 |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 4 |
| Service Games | 100% (5/5) | 80% (4/5) |
| Return Games | 20% (1/5) | 0% (0/5) |
| Total Games | 60% (6/10) | 40% (4/10) |
| Max Games In A Row | 3 | 1 |
| Injury Timeouts | 0 | 0 |
| Set 2 Duration | 0h 51m | |
| Match Duration | 1h 23m | |
She simply refused to go away—saving four match points and earning two break points to level at 5-5. But Sorana Cirstea held firm, saved both, and powered through to claim her first trophy in four years. After that, the Romanian was all smiles—and rightly so. She did not drop a set the whole tournament.
Still in her mid-20s, Li continues to evolve into one of the more reliable performers on hard courts. Her Cleveland run, though falling just short, underlined her promise and showed she can hang with the tour’s toughest. For Li, the week felt like a launching pad; for Cirstea, it was pure joy.