FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY—Sorana Cirstea is barely old enough to vote. But the 18-year-old nearly stole the show on Day 3 of the U.S. Open, taking third-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova to a first-set tiebreak on Wednesday afternoon.

Cirstea, who is appearing in her first Open, couldn’t complete the upset story. Kuznetsova rallied in the tiebreaker and broke two of the three serves she faced in the second set, advancing to the third round with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Unlike the previous match on the main court, where unseeded Sofia Arvidsson took No. 2 Jelena Jankovic deep into a third-set, Cirstea couldn’t carry the positive momentum she built into the second half.

Perhaps experience will change that. Cirstea just started competing in Grand Slam events, advancing to the second round in both the French Open and Wimbledon after losing in the first-round at the Australian Open. Playing in front of a 22,000 seat venue is something with which most junior players are not accustomed.

“Yeah, she plays good,” Kuznetsova said. “It was her first U.S. Open main draw. She’s not scared at all. She was hitting the ball very strong.”

To say the 24-year-old Kuznetsova enjoyed the edge in experience is an understatement. The Monte-Carlo resident won the tournament in 2004 and lost in the championship match last year.

Currently ranked the fourth-best women’s singles player, Kuznetsova is looking to add a second major title to her resume. She was the runner-up at Roland Garros in 2006 but said coming to New York is always a more meaningful experience.

“I come to every Grand Slam, but here you feel special,” she said. “It’s like I’ve made it here. I really can do it and I’ve done it here. It’s an amazing feeling, because I’ve also been to the finals here last year.

“It’s like it supports me in some kind of way. I don’t know how to explain. I just play much more confidently. When you play here, it’s a different atmosphere. Even playing first at 11:00 (a.m.), there aren’t many people, but you feel special being on the center court.”

World No. 53 Cirstea put the one-time champion in an early hole, breaking a serve in the sixth game to take a 4-2 first-lead. Kuznetsova struck right back, breaking Cirstea’s serve before prevailing in the seven-point tiebreaker.

Kuznetsova will now face 28th-seed Katarina Srebotnik, a Slovenian, in the third round. Kuznetsova said she excepts the adrenaline rush of playing in a major to help compensate for her “not being in [the] best shape.”

“I haven’t been playing well before the U.S. Open,” she said. “But Grand Slams keep me more motivated and I do much better [in them].”