Sports flash

The latest from table tennis, women's handball, women's basketball and lawn tennis.

Eugen Nasta and Florin Orban, 22.02.2024, 13:45

Romanian women’s table tennis team on Wednesday has advanced to the quarterfinals as part of the World teams Championships in Seoul and the Olympic Games in Paris. In the round of 16, Romania’s Bernadette Szőcs, Elizabeta Samara and Adina Diaconu defeated Egypt, 3-nil

We recall Romania came in 5th at the 2014 edition of the World Championships in Japan, and at the World Championships in Sweden, in 2018. Romanian table tennis team’s most recent performance in South Korea has raised to 76 the number of athletes who have qualified to the Olympic Games in Paris, according to the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, quoted by Agerpres. Romania’s men’s table tennis team was unable to go past the round of 16 in South Korea, having sustained a nil-3 defeat by China.

Results in fixtures counting towards the Romanian Women’s National Handball League’s 17th round have been predictable, with a win-all record for the favorite teams. Holders CSM Bucharest defeated Minaur Baia Mare, 33 – 28. Vice-champions Rapid Bucharest defeated Dacia Mioveni, 27-22. In their match against Handbal Club Zalău, Gloria Bistriţa grabbed a 28-23 win. The other Romanian team to have made it to the Europa League’s quarterfinals, Dunărea Brăila, outclassed Magura Cisnadie, 25 – 21. CSM Bucharest are still at the top of the as-it-stands table, being 6 points clear of 2nd and 3rd-placed teams, Rapid Bucharest and Gloria Bistritsa, respectively.

In the National Women’s National Basketball league on Wednesday. Baschet Arad grabbed a 63 – 47 home win against Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe. In the wake of a lackluster European run, Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe has yet against put on a disappointing performance, this time in the domestic championship, with a negative record of scored points and with the second defeat in their last three domestic championship fixtures.

In April this year, Bucharest will play host to an ATP 250 tennis tournament. After a eight-year gap, Ţiriac Open will be resumed in Romania’s capital city: the event will have 580 thousand USD in prize money. Matches will be played on a clay court and the winner will be granted 250 ATP points. The first top-flight tennis player who has confirmed his participation to the Tiriac Open was the Canadian Denis Shapovalov, a former WTA no 10.