Former World No.1 Simona Halep's Romanian homecoming was stopped at the first hurdle at the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca on Tuesday by Italy's Lucia Bronzetti, 6-1, 6-1.

Cluj-Napoca: Draws | Scores | Order of play

Bronzetti needed just under an hour to dispatch the two-time Grand Slam singles champion, who was making her 2025 season debut. The Italian World No. 72 went a perfect 5-for-5 on her break point chances, and saved the only one she faced, which came in the first game of the second set. 

"I respect a lot Simona; she is a great champion," Bronzetti said afterwards. "I enjoyed the atmosphere even if it was all for her. I think that I played every point very solid. I tried to play point by point ... I tried to stay there and focus every point."

Halep last played in October in Hong Kong, with her 2024 comeback season limited to just four tournaments as a result of a knee injury. The rust shone through against Bronzetti, who upset Victoria Azarenka at the Australian Open and last week at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz played eventual runner-up Dayana Yastremska tough in the opening round. 

Halep was broken in the first game of the match, and though she pushed Bronzetti to deuce from 40-0 in the next game, she never led on the scoreboard. Bronzetti pulled away by winning six straight games from 2-1 in the first set, with her only game lost in the second set coming when Halep held serve at love when already trailing 3-0.

Bronzetti advances to a second-round meeting with No. 3 seed Peyton Stearns, who regrouped after losing the first set to top Varvara Gracheva in other Tuesday action, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.