Seven Romanian tennis players to keep an eye on
Seven Romanian tennis players have been making headlines around the world, with their good performances in international competitions. Here are the five women and two men the world should keep an eye on.
Tennis ace Simona Halep (in opening picture) moved up to the 7th place in the WTA singles rankings, taking her to the equal highest position occupied by a Romanian. She recently won the Qatar Total Open in Doha, her first Premier 5 win. She beat German tennis player Angelique Kerber, 6-2, 6-3, after a one hour-game. This pushed her to the 9th place WTA, from her previous 10th position ranking.
Halep was last year named most improve player by the WTA after a rapid rise through the rankings.
Simona Halep, 22, is from the Romanian seaside city of Constanta, She started her career in 2008 playing in junior competitions. She is a former junior World No.1, and junior French Open champion. Her breakthrough year was in 2013, when started the year ranked 47th.
Her first major tournament breakthrough came at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in May, gaining three of the biggest victories of her career. The same year she won the Nürnberger Versicherungscup and the Budapest Grand Prix. Then came the the New Haven Open win, as well as the Kremlin Cup and the the WTA Tournament of Champions. She ended the year ranking 11th. Halep entered top 10 in 2014, after winning points at the Australian Open. The Qatar Total Open win in Doha brought her the 9th place WTA, and then she moved up to the 7th position.
Halep is coached by Wim Fisette, and her manager is former Romanian tennis player Virginia Ruzici.
She has appeared in the quarterfinals of the French Open and the final of the Rogers Cup.
Niculescu was born in Slatina, in Romania, and turned pro in 2002. She won the Brasil Tennis Cup in 2013, and in the doubles, she won GDF SUEZ Grand Prix in 2009, Moorilla Hobart International in 2012, alongside Irina Begu, Shenzhen Open and Moorilla Hobart International in 2014, both together with Klára Zakopalová.
She also won eight International Tennis Federation tournament finals between 2006 and 2010 in singles, and six finals in the doubles category.
editor@romania-insider.com