Stat of the Day: Sorana Cirstea has now won four of her last six matches against Top 5 players

Sorana Cirstea is no stranger to pulling off an upset, but she’s been picking off some particularly big names throughout the year this year, and that pattern continued at the US Open on Friday night.

The Romanian upset No. 4-ranked Elena Rybakina in a three-set thriller on Louis Armstrong Stadium, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-4, and has now won four of her last six matches against Top 5 players.

The run began at Indian Wells this year.

CIRSTEA VS TOP 5 PLAYERS SINCE INDIAN WELLS: 4-2
d. No. 5 Garcia in 2023 Indian Wells 4th Rd, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
l. to No. 1 Swiatek in 2023 Indian Wells QFs, 6-2, 6-3
d. No. 4 Garcia in 2023 Miami 2nd Rd, 6-2, 6-3
d. No. 2 Sabalenka in 2023 Miami QFs, 6-4, 6-4
l. to No. 2 Sabalenka in 2023 Madrid 2nd Rd, 6-4, 6-3
d. No. 4 Rybakina in 2023 US Open 3rd Rd, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-4

Cirstea looked like she might be headed for a straight-set victory as she led by a set and a break, 6-3, 1-0, but Rybakina broke back and would push the match to a deciding set, where the Romanian jumped ahead 4-1 and broke one last time to seal the victory.

The No. 30-seeded Cirstea is through to the fourth round of the US Open for the first time in her career. She’ll next play No. 15-seeded Belinda Bencic, a 7-6 (1), 2-6, 6-3 winner over China’s Zhu Lin.