Radio România Internațional

Tag: WTA rankings

  • February 24, 2025

    February 24, 2025

    WAR IN UKRAINE – The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, hailed Ukrainian “resistance” on marking three years since the start of the Russian invasion, when several European leaders came to Kyiv to reassert their support for Ukraine amidst a shift of US policy on the war. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, European Council president Antonio Costa, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Spanish Prime Minister Petro Sanchez, as well as presidents and prime ministers from Baltic and Nordic states arrived in Kyiv on Monday morning for a summit devoted to collective defense and security strategy. Another 24 European leaders, including Romania’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan, will take part via video link. Also today, French President Emmanuel Macron is meeting Donald Trump at the White House, hoping to convince the US president to take into account the security of Europeans. Demonstrations in support of Ukraine took place over the weekend in Paris, Prague and Vilnius, in front of the Russian Embassy in Washington and in several American cities. Several hundred people, mostly refugees from Ukraine, participated in demonstrations yesterday in Bucharest and Constanța (southeast) to mark 11 years of Russian aggression and three years since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In Bucharest, the Parliament Palace will be lit up in yellow and blue to express solidarity with Ukraine. The Chamber of Deputies today will observe a moment of silence to pay homage to the victims of the war.

     

    FAC – Romania’s Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu, is attending Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels. According to a Foreign Ministry release, the agenda of the Council meeting includes Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, developments in the Middle East, Congo and Georgia. Talks on the war in Ukraine will also mark three years since the start of the conflict and will focus on the latest developments and on continuing EU multidimensional support for Ukraine, especially amidst the latest geopolitical dynamics concerning Ukraine peace talks. Talks on the Middle East will refer to the recent developments in Israel and Gaza, the importance of upholding the ceasefire agreement and the humanitarian situation in the region.

     

    DEFENSE – The Senate is today debating a bill allowing the army to shoot down foreign drones that illegally enter Romanian airspace. The Senate is the decision-making body in this matter, so if approved, the draft law will be submitted to interim president Ilie Bolojan for approval. The initiative is designed to correct a legal loophole amidst heated debates on social media. The bill allows the Romanian army and the units of allied and partner states to use aerial and land systems to shoot down illegal drones. The bill also creates the legal framework for conducting military operations without declaring a state of emergency. NATO will also be able to assume command of structures of the Romanian Army over a limited period of time.

     

    CORRUPTION – Anti-corruption prosecutors are raiding over 40 locations in the port of Constanța (southeast), targeting possible cases of corruption. The investigation might involve port managers and officials who took or gave bribes of some €6 mln.

     

    WASTE CRISIS – The city of Ploiești (south) is on the verge of a health crisis after no waste has been collected for nearly a week. Mayor Mihai Poliţeanu has called on central authorities to declare a state of emergency. The mayor calls on the Interior and Environment ministries to urgently unlock procedures to award environment permits and take legal action against the management of the local waste collection company, whose contract expired on January 15 and license at the end of 2024. Mayor Poliţeanu says the municipality was unhappy with the quality of waste collection services, and that the newly contracted operator was unable to start its activity due to an illegal deed extending the contract of the old operator. Under these circumstances, the Prahova County Environment Protection Agency did not issue an environment permit for the new operator. The Ploiești municipality has filed a notification in this regard.

     

    GERMANY – The Conservatives have won Sunday’s parliamentary election in Germany, although the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the far-right party, grabbed its best score yet. The CDU/CSU coalition of center-right parties grabbed some 29% of the vote, while AfD came in second with 20%, an unprecedented result for a far-right party in post-Nazi federal Germany.  “We have never been stronger at national level”, AfD leader Alice Weidel said after the election. Set up in 2013, the anti-migration party doubled its score compared to the 2021 election. The acting chancellor Olaf Scholz is the big loser of the current ballot, after the Social-Democrats grabbed only 16% of the vote, compared to 25% in 2021. The Greens won some 13%, the radical left 9%, while the Liberals apparently won’t reach the 5% threshold that allows them representation in the Bundestag.

     

    AWARD – Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude has scooped the Silver Bear for best script at the Berlin International Film Festival, for his feature film “Kontinental 25”, which tells the story of a bailiff facing a moral crisis.

     

    TENNIS – Two tennis players represent Romania in the WTA singles top 100, according to this Monday’s updated standings – Irina Begu (75) and Jaqueline Cristian (85). Gabriela Ruse (101), Anca Todoni (102) and Sorana Cîrstea (120) are not far off. In the doubles standings, Monica Niculescu ranked 35th, while Gabriela Ruse 51st.  (VP)

  • The Athlete of the week

    The Athlete of the week




    The WTA timetable last week had two
    top-flight tournaments on schedule. China’s Wuhan played host to the stronger
    of the two events, which had 2,828,000 USD in prize money. Only one Romanian
    was included in the main draw, Simona Halep, who pulled out of the competition
    as early as the tournament’s round of 16. Last week’s second noteworthy
    tournament was the one in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and had 250,000 USDD up for
    grabs.

    Three Romanians proved their mettle
    in the first round. They were Monica Niculescu, Irina Begu and Sorana Cîrstea.
    However, only Niculescu and Cîrstea made it to the second round. 8th-seed Sorana Cirstea advanced in the competition, reaching as far as the finals. Cirstea’s trail in
    Tashkent included wins against Czech opponent Denisa Allertova, Belgium’s Ysaline
    Bonaventure, Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic and Katarina Zavatska of Ukraine. In
    the final, however, Carstea sustained a three-set defeat by Belgian challenger Alison
    Van Uytvank, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

    For reaching as far as the finals of
    the Tashkent tournament, Radio Romania International has designated Sorana
    Cirstea the Athlete of the week.

    Sorana Cirstea was born in the
    southern Romanian town of Targoviste, on April 7th, 1990. Sorana turned pro in
    2006, when she was 348th-placed, according to the world final
    rankings. She won only one WTA tournament, in 2008, in Tashkent. Sorana’s
    career best occurred in August 2013, when she was 21st-placed
    according to WTA rankings. Immediately afterward Sorana Cirstea went through a
    difficult period, physically, yet she braced up and in March 2018 climbed to the 33-rd position, according to the WTA rankings. Earlier last week Sorana
    was 96th-placed, and in the wake of her excellent run in Tashkent
    she climbed 21 notches and is now 75th-placed according to the WTA
    rankings.

    (Translated by Eugen Nasta).








  • The Athlete of the week

    The Athlete of the week




    The WTA timetable last week had two
    top-flight tournaments on schedule. China’s Wuhan played host to the stronger
    of the two events, which had 2,828,000 USD in prize money. Only one Romanian
    was included in the main draw, Simona Halep, who pulled out of the competition
    as early as the tournament’s round of 16. Last week’s second noteworthy
    tournament was the one in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and had 250,000 USDD up for
    grabs.

    Three Romanians proved their mettle
    in the first round. They were Monica Niculescu, Irina Begu and Sorana Cîrstea.
    However, only Niculescu and Cîrstea made it to the second round. 8th-seed Sorana Cirstea advanced in the competition, reaching as far as the finals. Cirstea’s trail in
    Tashkent included wins against Czech opponent Denisa Allertova, Belgium’s Ysaline
    Bonaventure, Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic and Katarina Zavatska of Ukraine. In
    the final, however, Carstea sustained a three-set defeat by Belgian challenger Alison
    Van Uytvank, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

    For reaching as far as the finals of
    the Tashkent tournament, Radio Romania International has designated Sorana
    Cirstea the Athlete of the week.

    Sorana Cirstea was born in the
    southern Romanian town of Targoviste, on April 7th, 1990. Sorana turned pro in
    2006, when she was 348th-placed, according to the world final
    rankings. She won only one WTA tournament, in 2008, in Tashkent. Sorana’s
    career best occurred in August 2013, when she was 21st-placed
    according to WTA rankings. Immediately afterward Sorana Cirstea went through a
    difficult period, physically, yet she braced up and in March 2018 climbed to the 33-rd position, according to the WTA rankings. Earlier last week Sorana
    was 96th-placed, and in the wake of her excellent run in Tashkent
    she climbed 21 notches and is now 75th-placed according to the WTA
    rankings.

    (Translated by Eugen Nasta).








  • Athlete of the Week on RRI: Tennis player Mihaela Buzarnescu

    Athlete of the Week on RRI: Tennis player Mihaela Buzarnescu

    At the Hobart tournament, totaling $226.750, Mihaela Buzarnescu had an excellent early run. In the first round she knocked out the competition’s fourth-seed, Alize Cornet of France, 6-2, 6-4. In the round of 16 she defeated Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany, 7-5, 6-4. Then in the quarterfinals, the Romanian tennis player ousted Alison Risk of the United States, 7-6, 6-1. In the semi-finals Mihaela had an excellent game against fifth-seed Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine, winning 6-2, 6-2. In the final however, Mihaela lost to second-seed Elise Mertens of Belgium, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. Reaching the Hobart finals is the best performance in Mihaela’s career. Her previous best was reaching the semi-finals of the WTA tournament in Linz, Austria, in October 2017.



    Left-handed Mihaela Buzarnescu was born in 1988 in Bucharest. Her best performance in under-21 competitions was winning the US Open women’s doubles in 2006, together with another Romanian, Raluca Olaru. In the women’s singles she is the fourth Romanian tennis player to rank among the world’s top 50, being ranked 44th. Simona Halep is the world’s number one, Sorana Cirstea is ranked 36th, while Irina Begu is 40th-placed.



    On Monday Mihaela Buzarnescu was seeded, for the first time in her career, in the Australian Open main draw. Unfortunately she was eliminated from the first round, losing 6-2, 6-3 to the world’s no. 2 tennis player, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.



    Let us also note that Mihaela Buzarnescu holds a PhD in Physical Training and Sports. Her doctoral thesis was focused on improving tennis play in young players by developing their motor and psychological skills. (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • January 9, 2017 UPDATE

    January 9, 2017 UPDATE

    BAD WEATHER ROMANIA — The new Romanian energy minister, Toma Petcu, says that despite a record level of consumption reported in Romania, the country will not face any problems in terms of electricity and natural gas supply. He added that, because of the very low temperatures, consumption will reach a historic high, but Romania has the capacity to provide energy even if the period of frost is extended. Petcu pointed out that given the high level of domestic energy consumption, Romania could not offer support to neighboring Bulgaria, which has faced problems in supplying energy. Due to the frost, schools, high schools and kindergartens in Bucharest and other regions of Romania will remain closed all week. Following the heavy snowfalls of the past days traffic was resumed on the highway linking Bucharest to Constanta and on the roads that had been closed because of the bad weather. The heavy snows severely disrupted road, railway and maritime transport. The most severely hit was the southeast of the country, where many localities experienced power outings and water supply was cut off. Across the country, scores of trains have been cancelled and some flights delayed.



    POLITICS — The Romanian Chamber of Deputies will convene in extraordinary sessions until the end of January, the Chamber’s Permanent Bureau announced on Monday. Thus, the new government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, headed by Social Democrat Sorin Grindeanu will be able to also issue emergency ordinances, which is not usually allowed during parliamentary recess. By convening in extraordinary session, the majority coalition is trying to overcome the deadlock created by the right wing opposition that sent the bill enabling the Cabinet to issue government orders during parliamentary recess to the Constitutional Court. The opposition parties argued that the bill would allow the government to amend organic laws by simple ordinances, which runs counter to the law. In exchange, the Social Democrat leader, Liviu Dragnea, claims that the opposition’s move in nothing but an attempt to block the activity of the government. Constitutional Court officials told Radio Romania that they would discuss the opposition’s notification on Thursday.



    STATISTICS — Exports of Romanian products reached a record level of 5.3 billion euros in December 2016, an amount higher by almost 12% as compared to the same period of 2015. Preliminary data published on Monday by the National Statistics Institute show that imports as well were higher by 11.6%, exceeding 6 billion euros. Thus, the trade deficit was more than 860 million euros. Also on Monday the Statistics Institute announced that the unemployment rate for November was 5.7%. The number of unemployed people reached 521 thousand, down as against both the previous month and the corresponding month of 2015. The unemployment rate stood at 6.5% among men and 4.7% for women, the National Statistics Institute also reported.



    TENNIS — The best Romanian woman tennis player, Simona Halep, continues to be ranked 4th in the WTA classification made public on Monday. Halep was eliminated in the eighth finals of the Shenzhen tournament, in China, and she is now 163 points away from the last ranked player, Polish Agnieszka Radwanska. Other three Romanian players are in the WTA Top 100: Irina Begu is down one, place being ranked on 30th position, Monica Niculescu is on 40th place and Sorana Carstea maintained the 78th place. The German player Angelique Kerber continues to be world leader, being followed by American Serena Williams.



    BAD WEATHER EUROPE — Polar temperatures have affected the whole of Europe, from eastern France to the south of Greece and Italy, the people killed by the frost raising to 40. Most of the victims were reported in Poland. The Romanian Foreign Ministry warns the Romanian citizens who want to travel abroad on the severe weather conditions faced by many European countries including Italy, Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina. The center and south of Italy continues to be affected by frost, with temperatures dropping to minus 10 degrees C in Amatrice, where the people left without homes following last summer’s quake are still sleeping in cars and tents. Greece has also been affected by extreme cold. The wave of extreme cold seems to have been caused by a glacial Polar Continental air mass that advanced south-westwards from Scandinavia. (translation by Lacramioara Simion)

  • Tennis player Irina Begu

    Tennis player Irina Begu

    The tennis tournament in Rome has again brought Romanian tennis in the spotlight.. Irina Camelia Begu reached the semi-finals of the womens singles, a competition offering 2.4 million euros in prize money. For her remarkable performance, we have designated Irina Begu Athlete of the Week on RRI.



    In the Rome tournament, Irina Begu played Margarita Gasparyan of Russia in the first round, whom she defeated 6-3, 6-nil. In the second round, Begu grabbed a spectacular win against fourth-seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 6-3, 6-2. In the quarterfinals, Begu played Daria Kasatkina of Russia, whom she defeated easily 6-1, 6-4. In the semifinals Irina Begu knocked out Misaki Doi of Japan, 6-2, 7-6. In the semi-finals however Irina Begu couldnt beat Serena Williams of US, the number one seed who eventually won the tournament.



    Irina Camelia Begu was born in Bucharest on August 26, 1990. In 2006 she obtained her first notable performance, winning the European title in the under-16 competition. She then climbed steadily in the WTA womens singles rankings. In 2011 she was ranked 38 in WTA standings. Begu then had a poor spell, losing games and her ranking. In 2013 she was ranked 124. The next year Begu made a spectacular comeback, with good performances in singles and doubles events. In 2015 she was ranked 31st in the WTA singles and 30th in doubles standings. After her good run in Rome, Irina Begu is now ranked 28th in WTA singles and 37th in the doubles.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)