Irina Bara advances to last round of qualifications at Roland Garros

Romanian tennis player Irina Maria Bara on Thursday advanced to the last round of qualification for the main draw of the Roland Garros tennis tournament, the second Grand Slam of the year, after defeating Russia Ana Blinkova, in three sets, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. 

Irina Bara (23, WTA's 161st) defeated Blinkova (19, WTA's 108th) in two hours and 13 minutes. 

Irina Bara has already secured for herself a cheque worth 21,000 euros and 30 WTA points for reaching this far in the competition, with her next opponent in the last round of qualifications to be Caroline Dolehide (US). 

Dolehide (19, WTA's 126th) defeated Irina on both occasions when they played against each other, that is in 2016, in Wesley Chapel (Florida, 25,000 US dollars), 7-5, 7-5, and this year in the final of the Indian Harbour Beach tournament (Florida, 60,000 US dollars), 6-4, 6-5. 

On the same day, Alexandru Dulgheru (28, WTA's 160th) will meet Australian Lizette Cabrera (20, WTA's 157th), in the second round of qualifications.