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Personal
Coached by Artemon Apostu ... Mother's name is Steluta (civil servant); father's name is Paul (electrician); brother is Andrei ... Started playing tennis at age 3 with aunt, who was a coach ... Favorite surface is clay ... Did gymnastics and played handball when younger ... Idol growing up was Martina Hingis ... Best tennis memory was winning European 16 & Under title in 2006 ... Favorite city is New York; favorite tournament was Marbella.
Career Highlights
SINGLES
Winner (4): 2017 - Bucharest; 2016 - Florianopolis; 2015 - Seoul; 2012 - Tashkent.
Finalist (3): 2014 - Moscow; 2011 - Marbella, Budapest.
DOUBLES
Winner (9): 2019 - Hua Hin (w/Niculescu); 2018 - Shenzhen (w/Halep), Bucharest (w/Mitu); 2017 - Bucharest (w/Olaru), Tianjin (w/Errani); 2014 - Rio de Janeiro (w/Irigoyen), Seoul (w/Arruabarrena); 2013 - 's-Hertogenbosch (w/Medina Garrigues); 2012 - Hobart (w/Niculescu).
Finalist (7): 2018 - Eastbourne (w/Buzarnescu), Tashkent (w/Olaru); 2015 - Rio de Janeiro (w/Irigoyen), Wuhan, Moscow (both w/Niculescu); 2012 - Fès (w/Cadantu), Luxembourg (w/Niculescu).
ADDITIONAL
Romanian Fed Cup Team, 2010, 2012, 2014-18; Romanian Olympic Team, 2012, 2016.
Career in Review
2017 - Notched fourth consecutive Top 50 year-end finish in 2017 (2014-17), finishing at No.43 in the WTA Rankings; Romania’s No.3, behind Halep and Cirstea, of five women in year-end Top 100; captured fourth singles title of career, and first clay-court title at 2017 Bucharest (d. Goerges in final); SF twice at Istanbul (l. to Mertens) and Moscow (l. to Kasatkina); QF at Charleston (l. to Kasatkina); reached 3r twice and 2r four times (incl. Australian Open and Wimbledon); fell 1r 13 times (incl. Roland Garros and US Open).
2016 - First Top 30 season (finishing No.29); won one WTA title at Florianopolis (d. Sasnovich in final); SF once at Rome (l. to S.Williams); QF twice at Charleston (l. to Kerber) and Madrid (l. to Halep); reached 4r twice (incl. Roland Garros) and 2r five times; fell 1r 10 times (incl. other three majors and Olympics).
2015 - Best season to date (finishing No.31); won one WTA title at Seoul (d. Sasnovich in final); SF at Rio de Janeiro (l. to Schmiedlova); QF three times at Charleston (l. to Kerber), Madrid (l. to Kvitova) and Washington DC (l. to Makarova); reached 4r once (Australian Open), 3r four times (incl. Roland Garros and Wimbledon) and 2r four times; fell 1r seven times (incl. US Open and Birmingham - l. to Hantuchova 46 76(10) 64; held 1mp at 8-7 in second set tie-break) and in qualifying once; set career-high No.25 on October 12 (after Beijing); withdrew from Acapulco, Monterrey and Indian Wells w/right rib injury.
2014 - Another Top 50 season (finishing No.42); runner-up at Moscow (l. to Pavlyuchenkova); SF at Oeiras (l. to Suárez Navarro); QF at Rio de Janeiro (l. to Pereira); reached 2r five times (incl. Wimbledon and US Open); fell 1r seven times (incl. Australian Open) and in qualifying five times (incl. Roland Garros); won two WTA doubles titles; won three singles titles and two doubles titles on ITF Circuit.
2013 - Injury-marred season (finishing No.124); QF at Seoul; reached 2r eight times (incl. Australian Open); fell 1r eight times (incl. other three majors) and in qualifying three times; won one WTA doubles title; struggled w/right shoulder injury throughout season (withdrew from Marrakech, Oeiras, Brussels and Nürnberg).
2012 - Near-Top 50 season (finishing No.52); won one WTA title at Tashkent (d. Vekic in final); SF three times at Acapulco (l. to Pennetta), Palermo (l. to Errani) and Linz (l. to Azarenka); QF at Fès; reached 2r six times (incl. Roland Garros, US Open and 's-Hertogenbosch - l. to Schiavone 62 26 76(8); held 8mp in tie-break - 6mp at 6-0 and 2mp at 7-6 and 8-7); fell 1r nine times (incl. Australian Open, Wimbledon and Olympics) and in qualifying twice; won one WTA doubles title; won one doubles title on ITF Circuit.
2011 - First Top 50 season (finishing No.40); runner-up twice at Marbella (l. to Azarenka in final) and Budapest (l. to Vinci in final); SF at Dallas (l. to Lisicki); QF at Palermo; reached 2r three times (incl. Roland Garros); fell 1r four times (incl. Wimbledon, US Open) and in qualifying twice (incl. Australian Open); made Top 100 debut on April 11 (rose from No.138 to No.97) and Top 50 debut on July 25 (rose from No.56 to No.46).
2010 - Fell 1r once and in qualifying twice (incl. Wimbledon); won one singles title and five doubles titles on ITF Circuit.
2009 - Played first WTA main draw at Budapest, falling 1r (as LL, l. to Peer); fell in qualifying six times (incl. Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open).
2008 - Won four singles titles and five doubles titles on ITF Circuit.
2007 - Won one singles title and one doubles title on ITF Circuit.
2006 - Won one doubles title on ITF Circuit.
2005 - Played first events of career on ITF Circuit in Romania.