I am writing this article in the Eindhoven – Amsterdam train. I am going to play in the qualifying of an ITF W35 tournament in Amstelveen [the new categories for the ITF tournaments].
I was also affected by the great number of flight delays and took off three hours later from Otopeni airport. But as a player you always expect the unpredictable, you can’t afford to get angry like a tourist who loses a few hours of his vacation.
Thus, you have to always see the bright side of things. Otherwise, you don’t arrive in a good mental state at the tournament. So, I recovered some of the sleep I was badly missing, I updated my paperwork and I relaxed, a luxury for the professional player.
Another bright side in this situation was that since the delay was a little longer than three hours, I immediately made a request for the ticket compensation and, who knows, maybe in a few months I will be refunded. As you know from my stories, this would be a welcomed “gift”.
In the same chapter, for the first time in a long time, I am very happy with my financial status. That is because I played a lot of team matches in Germany and France. More precisely, eight matches played every weekend in the last two months.
In the team championships of Germany and France
Apart from the financial gains, these meetings allowed me to travel a lot through the respective countries (the championship system is similar to that of football, with home and away meetings).
The three meetings in France were held in Tremblay-en-France (a suburb of Paris), Bordeaux and “at home” in Clermont-de-l’Oise.
In Germany, I played in Ludwigshafen, Munich (also “home”) and Bernhausen. We had good matches, a nice atmosphere and nice colleagues, and the clubs’ goals were achieved: in France we won the B league and qualified for the top one. And with TC Grün-Weiss Luitpoldpark München we finished in a well-deserved 2nd place in Bundesliga 2.
This was the reason why I have been absent a bit more from the blog, but also from the ITF tournaments.
In the official circuit, after the ITF W15 tournament in Bucharest, which I told you about, I only played only in one more (also ITF W15, June 17-23) – also at home, now without the quotes, especially since I live in walking distance from CNT – the National Tennis Center, the host of the tournament.
Here I won three matches in the qualifying, got a good win in the first round against Ioana Zvonaru and lost in the round of 16 against my friend, Georgia Crăciun, who eventually won the tournament.
“Friendship for sure, but tennis is all about points”, to paraphrase a Romanian saying. The match was fierce and I was a bit angry with myself, because I missed a great comeback. From 1-5 I made it 6-5 and served for the first set. I lost it in the tie-break, didn’t give up the fight and in the second got another lead for 5-4, but that was all I could manage.
So I will keep “Georgia on My Mind” (like Ray Charles), till we meet again. For now, after that match we only “met” on the phone.
But I overcame the fatigue amplified by the heat these days – I know, it’s hot for everyone, but I suffer terribly at such temperatures – and I returned to the court in doubles, together with my little friend Ilinca Sagmar, whom you already know from the last tournament.
Now we took another step forward on the draw and qualified for the semi-finals. I say it again, the fact that I can support Ilinca at the beginning of her career makes me extremely happy.
We all need support and not only at the beginning of our careers. And not only financial or psychological support, but also technical advice. Many players refuse it and they are wrong. First of all, because when someone gives you advice, it means that they care about you and secondly, because every time you receive guidance from a competent person, you learn something useful. You don’t have to agree with everything you are told, but you always keep at least a few good ideas that you can put into practice.
And the earlier in your career you get such help, the better.
How many mistakes – some serious – did I make before I turned 20? Enough!
How would things be now if I had been in touch with competent tennis people? The answer is obvious: they would have been better.
Now, this situation has changed: in Bucharest I felt good not only because I was not alone – my parents and friends came to my matches – but also because I had interesting conversations with coaches or people active in the world of tennis.
I was flattered that they cared about me and I learned some new and precious things.
All this, in addition to the support I receive nowadays from William Birău – the former player, whom you also know from the Romanian Billie Jean King Cup matches, where he was part of the technical team – with whom I have been practicing for the last two months.
I am very satisfied with our collaboration, I hope he is too.
So, a player who is not yet in the top 100, and therefore does not have a complete team next to him, must “pinch” technique and strategy information at any opportunity.
Again: even if he does not always agree with what he is told or knows in his heart that he cannot follow this advice.
For example, I rejected the criticism that was brought to me because I play for clubs or in unofficial tournaments.
I thanked for the opinion and explained that this is the only source that helps me financially, in order to continue playing the ITF circuit.
In Bucharest, I also saw two players (both 14 years old) who I’m sure will follow in Anca Todoni‘s footsteps – and quite quickly.
I am telling you their names – both are 14 years old – so that you can follow and support them, not wait – like some, who absolutely want great performances before paying attention to a player (I mean, in particular, the media) – for them to qualify on a Grand Slam main draw:
– Giulia Safina Popa, who confirms her excellent results in the juniors circuit, where this year she won an ITF J100 title (!). Now, in Bucharest she got through the qualifying and lost to Patricia Ţig, after being a break up in the third set.
– The second one is Maia Burcescu, who was my opponent in doubles, but also my practice partner and who at her first ITF tournament (!) – qualified for the quarter-finals.
See you again after I return from the chilly Netherlands.
