Radio România Internațional

Tag: tournament

Sports Flash

The Romanian forward Denis Drăguş scored for his team, Standard Liège, in the 24th leg of Belgiums top football league. His club defeated Eupen 2-0 away from home on Wednesday night. In the current season, in the 17 matches played for the Walloon side, Drăguş has scored 5 times.

The football side Dinamo Bucharest was defeated on Wednesday in a friendly match by 3rd-leaguer CS Popeşti-Leordeni, 2-1. The game was played on Dinamos turf. This is also where this coming Sunday Dinamo will play the derby match of the Romanian football championship against FCSB, formerly Steaua Bucharest. According to mass media, this will be the last derby match on Dinamo stadium, which is scheduled to be bulldozed this spring to be replaced by a modern arena. Dinamo stadium was built in 1951 and is owned by the Romanian Interior Ministry.

In another derby, in mens volleyball this time, Steaua won with flying colours, 3-0, against Dinamo Bucharest in the 14th leg of the national Division A1. Defending champions Arcada Galaţi scored an equally clear victory, 3-0, against Rapid Bucharest. Arcada top the current standings with 39 points, followed by Steaua, with 35. SCM U Craiova went up to the 3rd place with 34 points after beating U Cluj 3-0, and 4th come Dinamo, with 33 points.

The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan qualified in the round of 16 of the ITF tournament in Andrezieux-Boutheon, France, with 60,000 USD in total prize money. In the first round, on Wednesday, she defeated Leolia Jeanjean of France, 6-3, 6-3. Bogdan, 116 WTA and seed no 3, needed 1 hour and 33 minutes to defeat an opponent ranking 373 in the world standings. Last year in the Andrezieux-Boutheon tournament, the Romanian player Jaqueline Cristian reached the final. (A.M.P.)

27 January 2022
Sports Flash

The Romanian forward Denis Drăguş scored for his team, Standard Liège, in the 24th leg of Belgiums top football league. His club defeated Eupen 2-0 away from home on Wednesday night. In the current season, in the 17 matches played for the Walloon side, Drăguş has scored 5 times.

The football side Dinamo Bucharest was defeated on Wednesday in a friendly match by 3rd-leaguer CS Popeşti-Leordeni, 2-1. The game was played on Dinamos turf. This is also where this coming Sunday Dinamo will play the derby match of the Romanian football championship against FCSB, formerly Steaua Bucharest. According to mass media, this will be the last derby match on Dinamo stadium, which is scheduled to be bulldozed this spring to be replaced by a modern arena. Dinamo stadium was built in 1951 and is owned by the Romanian Interior Ministry.

In another derby, in mens volleyball this time, Steaua won with flying colours, 3-0, against Dinamo Bucharest in the 14th leg of the national Division A1. Defending champions Arcada Galaţi scored an equally clear victory, 3-0, against Rapid Bucharest. Arcada top the current standings with 39 points, followed by Steaua, with 35. SCM U Craiova went up to the 3rd place with 34 points after beating U Cluj 3-0, and 4th come Dinamo, with 33 points.

The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan qualified in the round of 16 of the ITF tournament in Andrezieux-Boutheon, France, with 60,000 USD in total prize money. In the first round, on Wednesday, she defeated Leolia Jeanjean of France, 6-3, 6-3. Bogdan, 116 WTA and seed no 3, needed 1 hour and 33 minutes to defeat an opponent ranking 373 in the world standings. Last year in the Andrezieux-Boutheon tournament, the Romanian player Jaqueline Cristian reached the final. (A.M.P.)

27 January 2022
Sports roundup

The year’s first Grand
Slam tournament, the Australian Open saw Romanian tennis player Irina Bara
sustaining a 3-6, 1-6 defeat by Spain’s Nuria Parrizas Diaz, in the first round
of the tournament. Bara was handed a cheque worth 103.000 AUD and earned 40 WTA
points.

In a
fixture counting towards Champions League’s Group A, the Romanian women’s
handball team, holders CSM Bucharest on Saturday grabbed an away win
against Montenegro’s Buducnost Podgorica, 28-20. Also on Saturday, in another
Group A match, Rostov Don outclassed Borussia Dortmund, 31-25. With 15 points
on their record sheet, Team Esbjerg are at the top of the table in Group A,
while CSM are 4th-placed, with 10 points on their record sheet.

Also in women’s handball, in a EHF European League fixture on Saturday, Magura Cisnadie
sustained a 28-31 Group C away defeat by Danish challengers Herning-Ikast
Handbold. In another Group C match, Norway’s Storhamar defeated Russian
opponents Lada Togliatti, 34-29. In Group C, Magura Cisnadie are the runner-up
team, with 2 points on their record sheet.

In a EHF European League Group D home fixture on Sunday, SCM
Ramnicu Valcea trounced Hungarian side Vac, 39-29. In another Group D match, Chambray Touraine sustained a home defeat by
Danish side Viborg, 24-27.

The third Romanian team competing in
the EHF European League, Minaur Baia Mare, sustained a 20-39 defeat by German
opponents Bietigheim, away from home. With 2 points on their record sheet, Minaur
are the runner-up team in Group B.

In the all-time derby as part of Belgium’s domestic
football championship, Standard Liege were held to a 1-all draw by Anderlecht Brussels,
in a 22nd round match. Scoring for Standard was Romanian international
footballers Denis Dragus. With 24 points, Standard are 14th-placed
in the domestic championship’s as-it-stands table.

In the
Erste Liga regional ice hockey competition, Sport Club Miercurea Ciuc defeated
Hungarian challengers Titanok, 8-6. ACSH Gheorghieni grabbed a 4-1 win against
another Hungarian opponent, FTC Telekom. Romania’s champion team Braşov Wolves won
the fixture against Hungary’s DVTK Jegesmedvek by the narrowest of margins, 5-4. In Erste Liga, Sport Club Miercurea Ciuc are
at the top of the table, with 79 points.

(EN)

17 January 2022
Sports roundup

The year’s first Grand
Slam tournament, the Australian Open saw Romanian tennis player Irina Bara
sustaining a 3-6, 1-6 defeat by Spain’s Nuria Parrizas Diaz, in the first round
of the tournament. Bara was handed a cheque worth 103.000 AUD and earned 40 WTA
points.

In a
fixture counting towards Champions League’s Group A, the Romanian women’s
handball team, holders CSM Bucharest on Saturday grabbed an away win
against Montenegro’s Buducnost Podgorica, 28-20. Also on Saturday, in another
Group A match, Rostov Don outclassed Borussia Dortmund, 31-25. With 15 points
on their record sheet, Team Esbjerg are at the top of the table in Group A,
while CSM are 4th-placed, with 10 points on their record sheet.

Also in women’s handball, in a EHF European League fixture on Saturday, Magura Cisnadie
sustained a 28-31 Group C away defeat by Danish challengers Herning-Ikast
Handbold. In another Group C match, Norway’s Storhamar defeated Russian
opponents Lada Togliatti, 34-29. In Group C, Magura Cisnadie are the runner-up
team, with 2 points on their record sheet.

In a EHF European League Group D home fixture on Sunday, SCM
Ramnicu Valcea trounced Hungarian side Vac, 39-29. In another Group D match, Chambray Touraine sustained a home defeat by
Danish side Viborg, 24-27.

The third Romanian team competing in
the EHF European League, Minaur Baia Mare, sustained a 20-39 defeat by German
opponents Bietigheim, away from home. With 2 points on their record sheet, Minaur
are the runner-up team in Group B.

In the all-time derby as part of Belgium’s domestic
football championship, Standard Liege were held to a 1-all draw by Anderlecht Brussels,
in a 22nd round match. Scoring for Standard was Romanian international
footballers Denis Dragus. With 24 points, Standard are 14th-placed
in the domestic championship’s as-it-stands table.

In the
Erste Liga regional ice hockey competition, Sport Club Miercurea Ciuc defeated
Hungarian challengers Titanok, 8-6. ACSH Gheorghieni grabbed a 4-1 win against
another Hungarian opponent, FTC Telekom. Romania’s champion team Braşov Wolves won
the fixture against Hungary’s DVTK Jegesmedvek by the narrowest of margins, 5-4. In Erste Liga, Sport Club Miercurea Ciuc are
at the top of the table, with 79 points.

(EN)

17 January 2022
Athlete of the week

Simona Halep has had an auspicious start in 2022. Simona
has reigned supreme in the very first tournament of the year she competed in, the Melbourne
Summer Set 1, an event with 239, 477 USD in prize money. Also, it was the first
success for Romanian sports in the New Year. Reason enough for Radio Romania International
to designate Simona Halep the Athlete of the Week.

In Melbourne, Simona entered the main draw from her
WTA 20th-position. She was 2nd-seeded, while Japan’s Naomi Osaka was
top seeded. In the first round, Halep defeated Australia’s Destanee Aiava, who
came straight from the qualifiers, 6-4, 6-2. Then Halep defeated a Romanian, Elena-Gabriela
Ruse, 6-2, 6-1. In the quarterfinals, Halep had a hard time defeating the 6th-seeded
player in Melbourne, the Swiss Victorija Golubovic, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4. In the
semi-final, Halep had an easy job defeating former WTA number 1, China’s Qinwen
Zheng, 6-3, 6-2. Then the final she played against the 3rd-seeded
tennis player in Melbourne, Russian challenger Veronika Kudermetova followed;
Simona Halep won, 6-2, 6-3. The win in Melbourne earned Halep the 15th
position according to the WTA rankings.

Simona Halep is one of the best players in Romanian
tennis. Born on September 27, 1991, in Constanta, Halep made her debut as a pro
in 2006, when she proved her mettle in her first ITF circuit tournaments. In
2010, Halep was included among the world’s top 100 tennis players. In August
2014, Simona Halep was WTA second-placed, at that time the best
position ever for a Romanian woman tennis player. From October 2017 and all through
to January 2018, Halep was at the top of the WTA rankings. In February 2018,
Simona Halep resumed her position at the top of the table. She stayed there until
early 2019, after the Australian Open. Halep was at the top of
the WTA rankings for 64 weeks. The Romanian’s outstanding record includes the
winning of two Grand Slam tournaments, in Roland Garros, in 2018, and in
Wimbledon, in 2019.

(EN)

11 January 2022
Athlete of the week

Simona Halep has had an auspicious start in 2022. Simona
has reigned supreme in the very first tournament of the year she competed in, the Melbourne
Summer Set 1, an event with 239, 477 USD in prize money. Also, it was the first
success for Romanian sports in the New Year. Reason enough for Radio Romania International
to designate Simona Halep the Athlete of the Week.

In Melbourne, Simona entered the main draw from her
WTA 20th-position. She was 2nd-seeded, while Japan’s Naomi Osaka was
top seeded. In the first round, Halep defeated Australia’s Destanee Aiava, who
came straight from the qualifiers, 6-4, 6-2. Then Halep defeated a Romanian, Elena-Gabriela
Ruse, 6-2, 6-1. In the quarterfinals, Halep had a hard time defeating the 6th-seeded
player in Melbourne, the Swiss Victorija Golubovic, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4. In the
semi-final, Halep had an easy job defeating former WTA number 1, China’s Qinwen
Zheng, 6-3, 6-2. Then the final she played against the 3rd-seeded
tennis player in Melbourne, Russian challenger Veronika Kudermetova followed;
Simona Halep won, 6-2, 6-3. The win in Melbourne earned Halep the 15th
position according to the WTA rankings.

Simona Halep is one of the best players in Romanian
tennis. Born on September 27, 1991, in Constanta, Halep made her debut as a pro
in 2006, when she proved her mettle in her first ITF circuit tournaments. In
2010, Halep was included among the world’s top 100 tennis players. In August
2014, Simona Halep was WTA second-placed, at that time the best
position ever for a Romanian woman tennis player. From October 2017 and all through
to January 2018, Halep was at the top of the WTA rankings. In February 2018,
Simona Halep resumed her position at the top of the table. She stayed there until
early 2019, after the Australian Open. Halep was at the top of
the WTA rankings for 64 weeks. The Romanian’s outstanding record includes the
winning of two Grand Slam tournaments, in Roland Garros, in 2018, and in
Wimbledon, in 2019.

(EN)

11 January 2022
A great Romanian tennis champion has just retired from competition

Romania’s best men’s doubles tennis player of all
time, 36-year old Horia Tecau, has announced he retires from competition. Tecau’s
career includes 38 wins in ATP tournaments, participation in three Grand Slam
finals and a silver medal he won in the Olympics.

The Romanian tennis player Horia Tecau has announced
his retirement from competition. Tecau made the announcement on Thursday, after
the last match he played as part of the Champions Tournament in Turin. Here is what
Horia Tecau posted on his Facebook page, QUOTE The flow of emotions is
literally overwhelming, right now. I am grateful. For my trail, for what I have
experienced, for the people I met. Sports was my playground, my school, it taught
me to dream, to be confident and to perfect myself, in time. The energy of the
tennis court as well as that of the tennis lovers offered a big reward and I shall
keep that feeling in my heart forever. Time has come for me to enjoy life differently
and turn the whole amount of that energy into a new form UNQUOTE.

Horia Tecău and the German Kevin Krawietz ended
their trail in this year’s edition of the ATP tournament in Turin with a 6-3,
6-7,10-6 win against Spanish-Argentinean pair made of Marcel Granollers and Horacio
Zeballos. Tecau and Krawietz had been defeated in the first two matches they
played in Turin, so the recent win was not enough for them to make headway into
the competition. In the tournament’s previous editions, pairing up with Robert
Lindstedt of Sweden, Horia Tecau competed twice, while jointly with Dutch
tennis player Jean-Julien Rojer, the Romanian fought in the tournament four
times. We recall Tecau and Rojer emerged as winners in 2015.

Horia Tecău was born in Brasov on January 19, 1985. He
has been playing tennis since he was 7. In 2002, Tecau and another Romanian, Florin
Mergea, were men’s doubles juniors’ champions in Wimbledon. Horia Tecau turned
pro in 2003. Since July 2008, Horia Tecau has earned his place among the world’s
top 100 tennis players according to the men’s doubles rankings. Since November
2009, Tecau earned his position among the world’s top 50 tennis players. His
progress according to the world’s doubles rankings has since been steady, and
in November 2015, Horia Tecau was 2nd-placed in the world. His
career includes 38 men’s double wins in ATP tournaments. Also, Horia Tecau
reached as far as the finals 24 times. In the men’s doubles, Horia Tecau twice
won two Grand Slam tournaments, in Wimbledon, in 2015 and in the 2017 edition
of the US Open. Tecau was pairing up with Dutch tennis player Jean-Julien Rojer
in both events. The Romanian’s record also includes a mixed doubles title. We
recall that in the Australian Open in 2012, Horia Tecau emerged as winner, pairing up with
US tennis player Bethanie Mattek-Sands. The Romanian also reached as far as the
Grand Slam tournaments finals five times, but he was defeated. Horia Tecau
played three Wimbledon finals in 2010, 2011 and 2012, jointly with Robert
Lindstedt. In the Australian Open in 2014, Horia Tecau was pairing up with
Indian tennis player Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles’ version of the
competition. Also in the Australian Open, in 2016, Tecau played the final jointly
with US tennis player CoCo Vandeweghe. In the Olympic Games in Rio, in 2016,
Horia Tecau walked away with silver, a medal he won alongside Florin Mergea. The
Romanian has been Romania’s Davis Cup team member since 2003. Back then Tecau
and Mergea managed to put Romania in the World Group, after a dramatic confrontation
against Ecuadorian challengers, brothers Giovanni and Nicolas Lapentti. Also in
a Davis Cup fixture, Tecau will play for the last time in his career against
Peru, in Cluj Napoca on November 27 and 28.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

19 November 2021
Sports roundup

Romania ‘s national rugby team this past Saturday trounced the Low Countries
representative, 56-15, in Bucharest. The national squad scored no less than
eight successful tries. Georgia is at the top of the table in the group, with
23 points. Romania follows suit, with 13 points, standing on a par with 3rd-placed
team Portugal. The fixture against the Low Countries was the last game the national
team played as part of the Rugby Europe Championship 2021. The Triumphal Arch
Rugby stadium in Bucharest on November 20 this year will host Romania’s test
match against Tonga.

In news from women’s handball, this past Saturday, in a Champions League
Group A fixture, CSM Bucharest sustained a dramatic 30-31 away defeat by Hungary’s
Ferencvaros Budapest. Former CSM Bucharest player Itana Grbic sealed the fate of the game in the last second of play. CSM’s
top scorers were Cristina Neagu, with 7 goals, and Elizabeth Omoregie, with 6 goals.
CSM yet again take on Ferencvaros this coming Saturday in Bucharest. In Group
A, Ferencvaros are at the top of the table, while CSM are 6th-placed.

Also in women’s handball, SCM Ramnicu Valcea secured a 34-28 home win
against Spanish opponents Super Amara Bera Bera this past Saturday. Also
on Saturday, Măgura Cisnădie drew
against Debrecen, 22-all, away from home. On Sunday, Gloria Buzau were defeated
by Norwegian opponents Storhamar, 31-27, also away from home. The three
fixtures counted towards the first leg of the European League in women’s
handball’s third qualifying round. The second leg will be played later this week.
The winners advance to the competition’s group stage.

In news from tennis, in a match counting towards The Champions
Tournament’s Green Group, the Romanian-German pair made of Horia Tecău and Kevin
Krawietz this past Sunday was defeated by the all-Croatian pair made of Nikola
Mektic and Mate Pavic, 6-4, 6-4. For Horia Tecau, it was the seventh edition of
the Champions Tournament he participated in. We recall that jointly with the
Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer, Horia Tecau won the tournament in 2015.

In news from football, this past Saturday, Romania’s
national team grabbed a 2-nil win against Liechtenstein, in Vadiz, in a fixture
counting towards the 2022 World Cup Preliminaries’ Group J. However, Romania
has failed to qualify to the playoffs of the tournament, to be played in Qatar.
According to the final rankings in Group J, Romania came in 3rd. We
recall 2nd-placed Germany secured their straight qualification to
the final tournament, while North Macedonia secured their participation to the competition’s
playoffs.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

16 November 2021
Sports roundup

Romania ‘s national rugby team this past Saturday trounced the Low Countries
representative, 56-15, in Bucharest. The national squad scored no less than
eight successful tries. Georgia is at the top of the table in the group, with
23 points. Romania follows suit, with 13 points, standing on a par with 3rd-placed
team Portugal. The fixture against the Low Countries was the last game the national
team played as part of the Rugby Europe Championship 2021. The Triumphal Arch
Rugby stadium in Bucharest on November 20 this year will host Romania’s test
match against Tonga.

In news from women’s handball, this past Saturday, in a Champions League
Group A fixture, CSM Bucharest sustained a dramatic 30-31 away defeat by Hungary’s
Ferencvaros Budapest. Former CSM Bucharest player Itana Grbic sealed the fate of the game in the last second of play. CSM’s
top scorers were Cristina Neagu, with 7 goals, and Elizabeth Omoregie, with 6 goals.
CSM yet again take on Ferencvaros this coming Saturday in Bucharest. In Group
A, Ferencvaros are at the top of the table, while CSM are 6th-placed.

Also in women’s handball, SCM Ramnicu Valcea secured a 34-28 home win
against Spanish opponents Super Amara Bera Bera this past Saturday. Also
on Saturday, Măgura Cisnădie drew
against Debrecen, 22-all, away from home. On Sunday, Gloria Buzau were defeated
by Norwegian opponents Storhamar, 31-27, also away from home. The three
fixtures counted towards the first leg of the European League in women’s
handball’s third qualifying round. The second leg will be played later this week.
The winners advance to the competition’s group stage.

In news from tennis, in a match counting towards The Champions
Tournament’s Green Group, the Romanian-German pair made of Horia Tecău and Kevin
Krawietz this past Sunday was defeated by the all-Croatian pair made of Nikola
Mektic and Mate Pavic, 6-4, 6-4. For Horia Tecau, it was the seventh edition of
the Champions Tournament he participated in. We recall that jointly with the
Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer, Horia Tecau won the tournament in 2015.

In news from football, this past Saturday, Romania’s
national team grabbed a 2-nil win against Liechtenstein, in Vadiz, in a fixture
counting towards the 2022 World Cup Preliminaries’ Group J. However, Romania
has failed to qualify to the playoffs of the tournament, to be played in Qatar.
According to the final rankings in Group J, Romania came in 3rd. We
recall 2nd-placed Germany secured their straight qualification to
the final tournament, while North Macedonia secured their participation to the competition’s
playoffs.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

15 November 2021
Radio Romania International Sports Club

The Transylvanian Open women’s
tennis tournament, venued by the BT Arena in Cluj-Napoca, has drawn to a close.
Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit is the winner of the tournament as in the final,
Kontaveit defeated top-seeded Simona Halep, 6-2, 6-3. The tournament had 235, 238
USD in prize money.

25-year-old Kontaveit is
WTA 14th-placed and it took her only one hour and ten minutes of
play to beat Halep. The win in Cluj-Napoca booked Kontaveit the ticket for the Champions Tournament. Anett Kontaveit received a cheque worth 29,000 USD .200 de dolari and
280 WTA points, while Halep received a cheque worth 16, 398 USD and 180 WTA
points. For 30-year-old Simona Halep, it was the 40-th WTA tournament final of
her career. So far, Halep has won 22 and lost 18 final confrontations.

Notwithstanding, Romania
had a winner in the Transylvania Open. Pairing up with Georgia’s Ekaterina
Gorgodze in the women’s doubles final, Irina Bara grabbed a 4-6, 6-1, 11-9 win
against Serbian-Dutch pair made of Aleksandra Krunic and Lesley Pattinama
Kerkhove. It is the first title for Bara and Gorgodze, who received a cheque
worth 10, 300 USD and 280 WTA points according to the doubles’ rankings. Krunic and Kerkhove received a cheque worth 6, 000
USD and 180 WTA points.

According to the WTA women’s
singles rankings, four Romanian competitors can be found among the world’s top
100 tennis players. Simona Halep is 22nd-placed while Sorana Cîrstea
is 38th-ranked. Irina Begu and Gabriela Ruse are 60th and
86th-placed, respectively. Jaqueline Cristian is 104th-ranked
and Ana Bogdan is 108th-placed, so they are a whisker away from earning
a place among the world’s top 100 players.

Australian Ashleigh
Barty is at the top pf the WTA rankings, with 7, 701 points.

Four Romanian tennis
players have already been included in the world’s top 100 players according to
the WTA doubles rankings. They are Raluca Olaru, who is 36th-placed,
Monica Niculescu, who is 39th-placed, Irina-Camelia Begu, who is 61st and Andreea Mitu, who is 100th-placed according to the WTA rankings.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

3 November 2021
Radio Romania International Sports Club

The Transylvanian Open women’s
tennis tournament, venued by the BT Arena in Cluj-Napoca, has drawn to a close.
Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit is the winner of the tournament as in the final,
Kontaveit defeated top-seeded Simona Halep, 6-2, 6-3. The tournament had 235, 238
USD in prize money.

25-year-old Kontaveit is
WTA 14th-placed and it took her only one hour and ten minutes of
play to beat Halep. The win in Cluj-Napoca booked Kontaveit the ticket for the Champions Tournament. Anett Kontaveit received a cheque worth 29,000 USD .200 de dolari and
280 WTA points, while Halep received a cheque worth 16, 398 USD and 180 WTA
points. For 30-year-old Simona Halep, it was the 40-th WTA tournament final of
her career. So far, Halep has won 22 and lost 18 final confrontations.

Notwithstanding, Romania
had a winner in the Transylvania Open. Pairing up with Georgia’s Ekaterina
Gorgodze in the women’s doubles final, Irina Bara grabbed a 4-6, 6-1, 11-9 win
against Serbian-Dutch pair made of Aleksandra Krunic and Lesley Pattinama
Kerkhove. It is the first title for Bara and Gorgodze, who received a cheque
worth 10, 300 USD and 280 WTA points according to the doubles’ rankings. Krunic and Kerkhove received a cheque worth 6, 000
USD and 180 WTA points.

According to the WTA women’s
singles rankings, four Romanian competitors can be found among the world’s top
100 tennis players. Simona Halep is 22nd-placed while Sorana Cîrstea
is 38th-ranked. Irina Begu and Gabriela Ruse are 60th and
86th-placed, respectively. Jaqueline Cristian is 104th-ranked
and Ana Bogdan is 108th-placed, so they are a whisker away from earning
a place among the world’s top 100 players.

Australian Ashleigh
Barty is at the top pf the WTA rankings, with 7, 701 points.

Four Romanian tennis
players have already been included in the world’s top 100 players according to
the WTA doubles rankings. They are Raluca Olaru, who is 36th-placed,
Monica Niculescu, who is 39th-placed, Irina-Camelia Begu, who is 61st and Andreea Mitu, who is 100th-placed according to the WTA rankings.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)

3 November 2021
Athlete of the week

Nur-Sultan, in Kazakhstan, hosted last week a WTA tournament with prize money totaling 238,000 USD. The competition is called Astana Open, after the former name of Kazakhstans capital city, which was changed by the national parliament in 2019.

This year, the doubles event was won by the Romanian Monica Niculescu and the German Anna-Lena Friedsam. For this result, Radio Romania International nominates Monica as Athlete of the Week.

In Astana Open, Niculescu and Friedsam defeated in the first round host country representatives Sofiya Chursina and Ekaterina Dmitricenko, 6-2, 7-5. In the quarter-finals, they outplayed the Ukrainian Valeria Strahova and Russian Ekaterina Yashina, 6-1, 6-1. Then came a victory in the semifinals, 6-4, 3-6, 10-8 against the Russians Vitalia Diatchenko and Yana Sizikova. In the final, Monica Niculescu and Anna-Lena Friedsam defeated 2 other Russian players, Angelina Gabueva and Anastasia Zaharova, 6-2, 4-6, 10-5. For the title in Nur-Sultan, Niculescu and Friedsam received 10,300 USD and 280 WTA points.

Monica Niculescu was born in Slatina, on September 25, 1987. She has been living in Bucharest since her early childhood, took up tennis at the age of 5 and has been a professional player since 2002. She has so far won 3 singles and 10 doubles tournaments, and she earned over 6.5 million US dollars throughout her career.

Her best position in the worlds singles ranking was 28th, in February 2012, while in the doubles ranking her best performance was an 11th place in the world in April 2018. She is now ranked 219th in the singles and 38th in the doubles.

5 October 2021
Athlete of the week

Nur-Sultan, in Kazakhstan, hosted last week a WTA tournament with prize money totaling 238,000 USD. The competition is called Astana Open, after the former name of Kazakhstans capital city, which was changed by the national parliament in 2019.

This year, the doubles event was won by the Romanian Monica Niculescu and the German Anna-Lena Friedsam. For this result, Radio Romania International nominates Monica as Athlete of the Week.

In Astana Open, Niculescu and Friedsam defeated in the first round host country representatives Sofiya Chursina and Ekaterina Dmitricenko, 6-2, 7-5. In the quarter-finals, they outplayed the Ukrainian Valeria Strahova and Russian Ekaterina Yashina, 6-1, 6-1. Then came a victory in the semifinals, 6-4, 3-6, 10-8 against the Russians Vitalia Diatchenko and Yana Sizikova. In the final, Monica Niculescu and Anna-Lena Friedsam defeated 2 other Russian players, Angelina Gabueva and Anastasia Zaharova, 6-2, 4-6, 10-5. For the title in Nur-Sultan, Niculescu and Friedsam received 10,300 USD and 280 WTA points.

Monica Niculescu was born in Slatina, on September 25, 1987. She has been living in Bucharest since her early childhood, took up tennis at the age of 5 and has been a professional player since 2002. She has so far won 3 singles and 10 doubles tournaments, and she earned over 6.5 million US dollars throughout her career.

Her best position in the worlds singles ranking was 28th, in February 2012, while in the doubles ranking her best performance was an 11th place in the world in April 2018. She is now ranked 219th in the singles and 38th in the doubles.

5 October 2021
Athlete of the week

Romania’s men’s lawn tennis team are that close to
earning their participation in the Davis Cup’s final tournament. This past
weekend in Cluj Napoca, the Romanians defeated Portugal, 3-1, in a match
counting towards the first tour in World Group I. On Saturday, in the first
men’s singles confrontation, Portugal’s Joao Sousa defeated Filip Cristian Jianu,
6-3, 7-5. In the second confrontation on Saturday, Marius Copil grabbed a 6-4,
6-3 win against Gastao Elias. On Sunday, in the men’s doubles confrontation,
Marius Copil and Horia Tecău defeated Nuno Borges and Joao Sousa, 6-4, 6-3. In
the second men’s singles match, Marius Copil defeated Sousa, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
Copil’s feat sealed Romania’s win against Portugal. Marius had a substantial contribution
to all three points on Romania’s record sheet. Reason enough for Radio Romania
International to designate Copil the Athlete of the week.

Marius Copil was born in the western Romanian town of
Arad on October17, 1990, into a family of athletes. His father was a rugby
player, while his mother played handball. Marius took up tennis at the age of
7. He turned pro in 2008. Marius Copil earned his place among the world’s top
100 players in May 2017. Copil reached as far as an ATP tournament final twice,
in 2018. In the first final match, Marius
Copil was defeated by Bosnian challenger Mirza Basic, in Sofia. The second tournament in Basel
saw Copil sustaining a defeat by Roger Federer. The Swiss tournament has meant Marius
Copil’s career best so far. The Romanian’s trail began in the qualifiers and
included six wins against better-placed opponents. Among them, Croatia’s Marin Cilic and the German Alexander Zverev. Early
into 2019, when Copil advanced to the Australian Open’s second round, he was 56th
placed according to the men’s singles world rankings. It was Copil’s career
best so far, according to the professional tennis rankings at world level. As
we speak, Marius Copil is 248th-placed according to world rankings.

(Transl;ation by Eugen Nasta)

21 September 2021
Athlete of the week

Romania’s men’s lawn tennis team are that close to
earning their participation in the Davis Cup’s final tournament. This past
weekend in Cluj Napoca, the Romanians defeated Portugal, 3-1, in a match
counting towards the first tour in World Group I. On Saturday, in the first
men’s singles confrontation, Portugal’s Joao Sousa defeated Filip Cristian Jianu,
6-3, 7-5. In the second confrontation on Saturday, Marius Copil grabbed a 6-4,
6-3 win against Gastao Elias. On Sunday, in the men’s doubles confrontation,
Marius Copil and Horia Tecău defeated Nuno Borges and Joao Sousa, 6-4, 6-3. In
the second men’s singles match, Marius Copil defeated Sousa, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
Copil’s feat sealed Romania’s win against Portugal. Marius had a substantial contribution
to all three points on Romania’s record sheet. Reason enough for Radio Romania
International to designate Copil the Athlete of the week.

Marius Copil was born in the western Romanian town of
Arad on October17, 1990, into a family of athletes. His father was a rugby
player, while his mother played handball. Marius took up tennis at the age of
7. He turned pro in 2008. Marius Copil earned his place among the world’s top
100 players in May 2017. Copil reached as far as an ATP tournament final twice,
in 2018. In the first final match, Marius
Copil was defeated by Bosnian challenger Mirza Basic, in Sofia. The second tournament in Basel
saw Copil sustaining a defeat by Roger Federer. The Swiss tournament has meant Marius
Copil’s career best so far. The Romanian’s trail began in the qualifiers and
included six wins against better-placed opponents. Among them, Croatia’s Marin Cilic and the German Alexander Zverev. Early
into 2019, when Copil advanced to the Australian Open’s second round, he was 56th
placed according to the men’s singles world rankings. It was Copil’s career
best so far, according to the professional tennis rankings at world level. As
we speak, Marius Copil is 248th-placed according to world rankings.

(Transl;ation by Eugen Nasta)

21 September 2021