Athlete of the week on Radio Romania International

Romanian women tennis players have yet again earned their place among the worlds elite. The central Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca as of late has played host to a WTA tournament, an event with 235,000 USD in prize money. Some of the moments top-flight women tennis players participated, among whom Alizé Cornet of France and Germanys Andrea Petkovic. The latter tennis player also won the tournament, adding the seventh WTA win to her record.

Florin Orban, 10.08.2021, 12:51

The main draw in Cluj-Napoca included no less than seven Romanian competitors. Mihaela Buzarnescu compelled recognition among her fellow tennis players, had an excellent run throughout the tournament and reached as far as the semifinals. Her trail included a first-round win against 7th-seeded Viktoria Tomova of Bulgaria, 3-2, 6-3, and a round-of-16 win against Spains Lara Arruabarrena, 6-3, 7-5. Then in the quarterfinals, Buzarnescu took on Czech challenger Kristyna Pliskova, whom she defeated, 7-5, 6-3. However, in the semifinals, Mihaela Buzarnescu conceded defeat to Mayar Sherif of Egypt, 7-6, 6-4. Notwithstanding, Mihaelas advancing to the tournaments semifinals is a noteworthy feat, for which she received a check worth 10,000 USD. The Romanian was also granted 110 WTA points. Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate Mihaela Buzarnescu the Athlete of the Week

Left-handed tennis player Mihaela Buzărnescu was born in 1988 in Bucharest. She turned pro in 2004, at the age of 16. Her career-best as a junior tennis player occurred in 2006. Back then Mihaela won the US Opens womens doubles, pairing up with a fellow Romanian, Raluca Olaru. As a senior tennis player, 2018 was Buzarnescus most auspicious year. On August 6 that year, the Romanian was 20th-placed according to the WTA womens singles rankings, while on October 22nd Mihaela was 24th-placed according to the womens doubles rankings, the peak of her career as a senior competitor. Mihaela Buzarnescu is 134th-placed according to the WTA as-it-stands table. In 2016, Ms. Buzarnescu earned her doctoral degree in Physical Education and Sports. Her research topic focused on ways to optimize the junior tennis players performance by improving their motor and psychomotor abilities.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta)