Unless she rethinks her decision to retire, the 6-2 6-3 defeat is the last match of Cirstea’s career. The 36-year-old has been asked several times this season whether she will continue playing, given the results she has enjoyed. But she seems to be sticking to her plan.

Cirstea went 3-4 in matches during the Asian swing, and after losing to Shubladze, the 36-year-old seemed to confirm that she was done. “With the way things ended here in Asia, I think the decision is pretty clear,” she told the South China Morning Post.

“I was running on empty, I had nothing left, and it’s been a long year. I need a break to process all of this, and then the final announcement will probably come in a few weeks.”

Speaking at the Italian Open in May, where she stunned then-world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on her way to the semi-finals, Cirstea said: “Everyone has been asking me, like, ‘You cannot retire, you cannot retire!’ And I mean, again, at this moment, my mind is set. But we will see what I can achieve this year and again, even if this is my last year, I still have a lot of goals and things to improve, and I go every day on the court with a plan.”

Earlier this year, Cirstea also lifted a fourth career title on home soil at the Transylvania Open, beating Britain’s Emma Raducanu 6-0 6-2 in the final. The Romanian got to her career-high ranking of No. 15 on September 14, following a run to the second week of the US Open.

After taking out the top seed and sending Cirstea into retirement, Shubladze is through to a maiden tour-level semi-final in her first-ever WTA Tour main-draw appearance. The world No. 136 will face Claire Liu for a place in the championship match.