Lina Gjorcheska wins opening match at ITF Istanbul tournament

Macedonian tennis player Lina Gjorcheska secured a comeback victory in her opening match at the ITF W50 Istanbul tournament. Facing the third seed and local player Berfu Cengiz, Gjorcheska won 2-1 in sets (3-6, 7-6(1), 6-4) in a match lasting 162 minutes.

After losing the first set 3-6, Gjorcheska won the second set via a dominant 7-1 tiebreak. In the deciding set, she overcame an early 0-3 deficit to win 6-4, securing her second victory in three head-to-head meetings against Cengiz.

Gjorcheska is scheduled to face Raluca Sherban of Cyprus in the next round. The Istanbul tournament features a total prize pool of $40,000.