RRI Sports Club

Romanians in the US Open

Florin Orban, 28.08.2019, 13:45

Flushing Meadows is hosting these days the year’s last Grand Slam tournament, the US Open. In the men’s competition, Marius Copil has qualified for the first time in the tournament’s second round. In the first round he defeated the French Ugo Humbert, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6, 4-6, 6-1 after a marathon match that lasted 4 hours and 14 minutes. The 28-year old young man from Arad, in western Romania, ranked 93rd in the ATP classification, reached the main table of a Grand Slam tournament only twice, more precisely at the Australian Open where he went as far as the second round in 2015 and 2019.

In the women’s competition, 3 Romanian tennis players have qualified to the 2nd round. On Monday Ana Bogdan defeated the British Harriet Dart 6-3, 6-1. On Tuesday 4th seeded Simona Halep had a hard time defeating the American Nicole Gibbs (135 WTA) in 3 sets 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Tuesday also saw the qualification of Sorana Cîrstea (106 WTA), who defeated the Czech Katerina Siniakova (37 WTA) 7-5, 6-2. The other two Romanians on the main table were eliminated. Monica Niculescu was defeated on Monday by 32nd seeded Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska in 3 sets 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 and on Tuesday Mihaela Buzărnescu lost the match against the German Andrea Petkovic 3-6, 4-6.

Along the years, many Romanian tennis players have participated in the US Open. For instance in 1972, when matches were still played on grass, Ilie Năstase won the men’s singles defeating the American Arthur Ashe 3–6, 6–3, 6–7, 6–4, 6–3. Năstase also won the doubles competition alongside Jimmy Connors. (translation by L. Simion)