Romania's Begu, Ruse, through to US Open qualifying second round

Romanian tennis players Irina Begu and Gabriela Ruse, on Monday won their matches in the first round of the US Open main draw women's singles qualifying, the last Grand Slam of the year. 

Begu, world number 92, who turns 29 on August 26, defeated 33-year-old Pemra Ozgen of Turkey, world number 183 WTA, 6-3 6-2, despite double-faulting six times. 

Her next opponent will be Jana Cepelova of Sovakia, a 26-year-old player, ranked 155th in the world. Begu defeated her in all three previous meets. 

Begu was close to the best 20 players in the summer of 2016, but knees and the ankle injuries took her out of the top 100 ranking for the first time since 2014. 

Elena-Gabriela Ruse, 21, world number 178, prevailed over another Romanian, 29-year-old Alexandra Cadantu, world number 256, 6-0 6-4 in one hour and 20 minutes. She won both their previous meets. 

In the second round, Ruse will play Italian Jasmine Paolini, 23, world number 117, who prevailed in their only direct meet in 2016 at Mamaia. 

In another first round qualifying match, Romania's Patricia Tig, 25, world number 137, lost to Russian Valeria Savinykh, 28, world number 179, 4-6 7-6 (4) 6-3, in two hours and 52 minutes. 

On Tuesday, three more Romanians will join the qualifying round - Irina Bara playing Belgian Kirsten Flipkens; Ana Bogdan playing US Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jaqueline Cristian playing Spain's Georgina Garcia Perez. 

Begu and Ruse have each secured 20 WTA singles points and 18,000 US dollars, while Cadantu and Tig will get 11,000 US dollars and 2 WTA singles points each.