Irina Spîrlea

Irina Spîrlea ( born March 26, 1974 in Bucharest ) is a former Romanian tennis player.

Career

Spîrlea 1990 professional tennis player and was for many professionals - as well as their countryman Ion Tiriac - the biggest young talents worldwide.

Her first title on the WTA Tour Spirlea secured in 1994 in Palermo. In the same year she was nominated for the Newcomer of the Year. In 1995 she defended her title at the clay court tournament in Sicily. Your greatest triumph she celebrated then in 1996 with a final victory over Mary Pierce at the traditional tournament in Amelia Iceland. Your fourth and last title she won in 1998 in Strasbourg. Irina Spirlea was among the top ten in the world rankings and was recorded in October 1997 at No. 7.

Between 1991 and 1994 she played in the Fed Cup for Romania 18 games, of which they won ten.

Your greatest sporting achievement was the semi-finals at the U.S. Open in 1997. According to a victory over Monica Seles they played a legendary match against Venus Williams. Spirlea missed two match points and lost with 6:7, 6:4 and 6:7. Became famous for the game, especially because the two opponents ran at a page break into each other. The Romanian told the " bump " later with the words: " She thinks she's f .. Venus. I do not go to the side. Never make room. " Then Spîrlea was father of Richard Williams as" ugly white turkey " titled. For negative headlines they had already taken care of at the tournament in Palermo, as they had been disqualified as the first woman in tennis because referee insult.

In the same year Spîrlea pulled at the Australian Open quarter-finals and was at the French Open and Wimbledon in the second round respectively.

In 1998, she defeated on the way to the finals of Hilton Head Island, the top ten players Lindsay Davenport and Monica Seles. At the U.S. Open, she defeated Serena Williams in the third round 6-3, 0-6, 7-5 and thus qualify as the year before for the Ladies Masters, where she came into the semi-finals again. In 1999, she was then, however far back.

In addition, the right-handed won six doubles titles in her career.

After many injuries Spîrlea ended her ten-year professional career in 2000. In 2001 she married her Italian coach Massimiliano Pace, 2002, she became a mother.