Simona Halep went down to the Romanian tennis history

Tennis player Simona Halep climbed on the fifth position in WTA with 4,775 points, this being the best ranking of a Romanian tennis player ever.

The record established by Simona Halep shadows the failure she experienced Saturday morning, in the semifinals within Indian Wells, in front of Polish tennis player Agnieszka Radwanska, with 6-3, 6-4.

For our player the tournament in Miami is about to start, another one from the category Premier Mandatory (the most important four tournaments after Grand Slam), which will take place between 17 and 24 March.

Simona Halep is the fourth Romanian in the history that entered in Top 20 WTA, after Virginia Ruzici, Irina Sparlea and Ruxandra Dragomir.

On October the 13th, 1997, Irina Sparlea classified on the seventh WTA position, record which was tied on February the 24th by Simona Halep.

Simona Halep is close to the former world leader –Victoria Azarenka –with less than 700 points, which is now on the fourth position, but will not participate at the Miami tournament, which starts this week.

Our player has the most victories, 57, within the female professional turnover WTA, in a ranking on the last 10 months, outrunning Serena Williams, world leader, 51 victories, and also Polish Agnieszka Radwanska, 49 victories.

Three Romanians also figure in TOP 100, Sorana Cirstea on 26, after she climbed a position since two weeks ago, Alexandra Cadantu, who fell three positions and is now on 62 and Monica Niculescu, on 70, after she fell 7 positions.

At double, Monica Niculescu is maintaining on 40 with 2005 points, Raluca Olaru has climbed from 62 on 61, with 1356 points and Irina-Camelia Begu has fallen from 66 to 73 with 1139 points.

The ascension on the fifth position in WTA

In December 2012, Simona Halep was occupying position 47 in the world ranking of tennis players.

The 22-year-old Romanian has won in 2013 six tournaments, at Nurnberg, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Budapest, New Haven, Moscow and Sofia, reaching a total amount of 53 victories last year.

In May 2013, Simona Halep managed the best tournament from her carrier, semifinals, at Rome, being defeated only by Serena Williams, after our player eliminated three great names in tennis: Radwanska (4th position in WTA), Jankovici (18th position in WTA) and Roberta Vinci (15th position in WTA). Following this evolution, Simona Halep climbed on the 44th position.

The next important ascension in the ranking was recorded on September the 9th, when she climbed on the 19th position after she won the first tournament of Premier category in her carrier, the one in New Haven.

At the end of year 2013, Simona Halep –become number 11 WTA –was considered the main candidate to accede the world top 10.

Also, Simona Halep was appointed “Most Improved Player” (the player with the most evolution in 2013) in the female professional tournament.

The tournament from Australian Open, January 2014, has brought to Simona Halep the best evolution in her carrier and a 10 WTA.

After Doha tournament, the Romanian’s first in category Premier 5, Simona Halep managed to even Irina Sparlea’s historical record, 7 WTA.

In March 2014, Simona Halep stopped in the Indian Wells semifinals in front of Polish Agnieszka Radwanska, and, following the points gained she reached the 5th position WTA on March the 17th.

Wim Fissette, the new coach, remarked Simona last summer, when she won the first tournaments in her carrier, on mud at Nurnberg and on Grass at s’Hertogenbosch.

Women’s Tennis Association started in 1973, in London, and the first official hierarchy was published in November the 3rd 1975.

WTA gathers nowadays over 2500 sportswomen in 92 countries who compete annually in 54 tournaments and four Grand Slams, organized in 33 countries, with a total amount of award worth almost 120 million dollars.

The Romanians’ situation in ATP ranking

Romanian tennis player, Victor Hanescu, climbed three positions and is nowadays on position 84 among the best tennis players in the world, published Monday, March the 17th 2014. His best classification was position 26 (July the 6th 2009).

Compared to the ranking two weeks ago, Adrian Ungur has fallen a position and is on the 123rd, Marius Copil lost three positions and is nowadays on 159th.

Young Patrick Ciorcila (17 year-old) made a remarkable jump of 33 positions, and is now on 534.

At double, Horia Tecau remains on the 26th position, while Florin Mergea climbed on the 49th position.

Horia’s best performance at double was the 6th position, August the 20th 2012.

The stage of the ranking is unchanged, with Rafael Nadal as leader, followed by Novak Djokovic and Stanislas Wawrinka, but Roger Federer managed to jump three positions and I snow on the 5th position.

Andrei Pavel, who finished his carrier at simple, in 2009, had the best position in ATP ranking in 2004, when he was occupying position 13.

Ilie Nastase, number 1 in 1973

Ilie Nastase is the greatest Romanian tennis player.

Ilie Nastase, former number one in the world in 1973, has an impressive record: 150 games played in 18 years for Romania Davis Coup, 57 titles at simple, a very important place in the best tennis players top in the past 40 years.

At Wimbledon he was the second, in 1972, in the final played with Stan Smith and in 1976, in the final played with Bjorn Borg.

Of the 83 titles won, only 53 were recorded by the Proffesional Tennis Player Association ATP.

In 2005, “TENNIS Magazine” places Ilie Nastase on the 28th position in the top of the greatest tennis player in the past 40 years.

Regarding the number of “Tennis Masters Cup” tournaments, consecutively won, Ilie Nastase occupies the 1st position next to Ivan Lendl with three titles consecutively won.
He played 18 years for the Romania Davis Coup, 146 games, of which 109 won.

He played three times Davis Coup with SUA next to Ion Tiriac, but they lost every time.
Ilie Nastase has retired from his proffesional activity in October 1985, at the age of 39.

Ion Tiriac

Triple finalist at Davis Coup and winner at double at Roland Garros in 1970, Ion Tiriac has become, in July 2013, the second Romanian tennis player included in the Hall of Fame, after Ilie Nastase.

Although he did not have a brilliant carrier compared to others sportsmen in this category, Ion Tiriac is knwon for his “amazing contribution to the tennis development”, according to the International Hall of Fame president, Stan Smith.

With this distinction, “Hall of Fame”, only 224 sportsmen in the tennis history were awarded.

At simple, the best classification of Ion Tiriac was position 56 in 1974, and at double position 19 in 1979.

Translated by Alexandra Diana Mircea