I was finishing the last article of the “Chronicles Court” blog revealing that I was going to play a series of three tournaments: ITF W35 Cluj and Brașov and W50 Slobozia.
I finished this series with a 6-3 win-loss record, after qualifying on the Main Draw in Cluj and Slobozia, and reaching the second round (R32 and R16) in Braşov and Slobozia. There were both good and worse facets for me at these tournaments, but the quality of my tennis was definitely increasing. This is the result on the court of the increased confidence that I have.
But a fourth tournament was added, because I also played at WTA 125 “Țiriac Trophy” Bucharest where I was invited to the qualification draw. I really wanted to participate in this tournament because it is the biggest one held at the National Tennis Center, where I practice, and I felt it would be the highlight of the work I put in all summer and the reward for the results at the “Tiriac Foundation Trophy” circuit.
The wild cards were awarded according to the ranking drawn up based on the results obtained in this circuit, in which I finished 4th – the ITF W15 Bucharest title helped a lot for this position – after I played in 9 of the 14 (!) tournaments organized in Romania. In fact, I ended the previous article by emphasizing the significant number of ITF tournaments in this local tour.
I would also like to thank Cosmin Hodor, the director of the WTA Challenger tournament, for the transparency with which he managed this subject (of the wild cards) and for his friendly attitude towards the players.
At WTA 125 Bucharest – Photo Credit: emil_sebastian_popescu_esp – and WTA 50 Slobozia, Photo Credit: naparis.trophy
I was very happy with the match that I played on the central court, the atmosphere was superb and I had a lot of support from the public. As I mentioned in another article, the athletes also play for the crowds, they are recharging from their energy, and the feeling of playing at home is unique. I came close to winning the first set and played evenly with the 2nd favorite in the qualifiers – Charaeva (250 WTA) – but the difference was made by a few better decisions she took. I tried to keep the level in the second set as well, but the mental and physical fatigue accumulated throughout the year and after a busy summer had its say. Just like it had happened a few days before, at the W50 tournament in Slobozia, where I achieved my best result in this tournament category – round of 16 – before being stopped by Fita Boluda (275).
I’m not forgetting to send warm congratulations to my friend Miriam Bulgaru for her title at WTA 125 Bucharest!
I’m proud of the level of tennis I’ve reached, which allows me to compete with top 300 players after intense matches.
Now I know which components I have to work on and what to improve together with my coach – William Birău – and my physical trainer, Mihai Anghel.
I had planned to go on a holiday because these days off also have their importance for the recovery. I’ve learned throughout my career that I need to avoid a burnout, which would be followed in the short term by a physical collapse. Too many times I did not allow myself to take these breaks because I felt guilty and wanted to train even harder, do even more. But I realized this is – paradoxically – a negative thinking that does not lead to progress, when it is not managed correctly.
Jack Draper – semi-finalist at the last edition of the US Open – says it will be harder and harder for those of his generation to achieve longevity. He believes it is a mentally and physically challenging schedule and the players have no time to rest. And for him and his team it is important not to get injured, to take care of his body and mind.
Patrick Mouratoglou says about Carlos Alcaraz that he needs to prioritize enough mental rest in his schedule because he is an emotional player and this will have an important role in his future. And the Spanish player also confirms that the schedule in the ATP circuit is difficult and that many good players miss tournaments because of injuries suffered as consequences of the tough tour.
Back to my vacation: I went to Durres in Albania with my best friend just to relax. We booked a beautiful apartment with a sea view and a terrace so that we could enjoy the sound of the sea while drinking our coffee, that is, to enjoy the small pleasures of life. We were lucky with sunny weather in September, so the first few days we went to the beach. Fine sand and warm sea, but also a good book completed the picture of perfect vacation days.
Of course, the photo shoots did not miss either [excerpts, above]. Another thing I enjoy is dressing up in elegant clothes in the few free moments I have. In the following days, we decided to visit this country that we knew very little about and that more and more Romanians are discovering with pleasure.
So we chose some nearby castles, monasteries and churches: in Berat, in Prezë and Krujë. Places worth visiting for their history, but also for their spectacular scenery. The only downside would be the road to get there which is rather difficult, but who doesn’t want a little adrenaline rush on holiday? Especially since I also improved my driving skills.
But after a few days of rest, at least two weeks of training are needed, so I started working again on both the tennis court and the gym, adding a few swimming sessions in between the workouts. I don’t forget recovery either, because I was telling you that I learned to give more importance to this side of my career after the injuries I suffered.
And I also learned that there has to be a balance between practice and competition weeks even though the pressure to play many tournaments, in order to win as many WTA points as possible, is huge. Thus, I prefer to organize my schedule taking in consideration performance, but also mental and physical comfort.
We will meet again after a new series of tournaments that I will start this week.
