Florența Mihai
Florenta Mihai ( born September 2, 1955) is a former Romanian tennis player. She was the first Romanian woman who could achieve a single - and mixed -finals at a Grand Slam tournament.
Career
Florenta Mihai began in the mid- 1970s at Grand Slam tournaments to start ( the Australian Open, however, they should never deny ). As a qualifier she divorced in 1975 in the first round of the French Open against Fiorella Bonicelli from Uruguay ( 3:6, 2:6 ) from. A year later she met, among others, after beating the Frenchwoman Nathalie Fox and the US-American Kathy Kuykendall prior to the semifinals of the French Open, where she defeated the Czecho Slovakian Renáta Tomanová in two sets ( 5:7, 6:7 ). The British Times prophesied Mihai then an "exciting future" after they had already come at the tennis tournament in Rome in the top four. In the same year Mihai first-round games played at the Wimbledon Championships and the U.S. Open and won jointly with the Brazilian Patricia Medrado the Spanish Open in women's doubles against Nathalie Fox and the Belgian Michele Gurdal ( 6:2, 6:4).
1977 Mihai was successful year. At the French Open she went to both the individual as well as together with the Colombian Iván Molina in mixed competition. In her single succeeded after victories over the German Helga Masthoff and the US-American Janet Newberry of entry into the women's final. After the introduction of the open- regulation in 1968 it was the third unseeded player Helen Gourlay ( French Open 1971) and Tomanová ( French Open 1976), who succeeded in this, and also the first Romanian single player who played a Grand Slam final. Mihai met the top seed Jugoslawin Mima Jausovec. After Mihai had to give up the first set 2-6, she won the second 7-6 in the tiebreaker. The decisive third set finally went with 1:6 Jausovec. With Iván Molina, who had already won in 1974 as a partner of Martina Navratilova, the French Open, she reached also in the Mixed final. Mihai was thus the first Romanian tennis player, who played a mixed- finals at a Grand Slam tournament. Both had but compared to the Americans Mary Carillo and John McEnroe ( 6:7, 3:6 ) in the cold. On the edge of the French Open Mihai criticized the computer rankings of the Women 's Tennis Association ( WTA ) as " inconsistent" and that it would disadvantage Eastern European players. In the last three tournaments Mihai would come in the top 16, but had been downgraded from World No. 41 to 56. The guided at position 40 US-American Betsy Nagelsen would, on the other hand not played a tournament in the previous month and was still moved up to 36th place.
In 1978 Mihai took place in early May 30 in the WTA world rankings, and was led before the French Open in tenth -seeded. But already in the first round she parted with 5:7 and 2:6 against the Frenchwoman Brigitte Simon, which should reach the quarter-finals in the course of the competition. With Mihai at position two set countrywoman Virginia Ruzici the first time won a Romanian single player a Grand Slam tournament. After another first-round at Wimbledon From Mihai could not build on the previous success in the following years. In 1979, the Romanian the second round at the U.S. Open in 1980, she contested the first round at Wimbledon.
Had Mihai can still impress with their superior athleticism and a confident, aggressive style of play at the beginning of her career in 1976 /77 1978 six first-round defeats were followed, which had affected her self-confidence. Furthermore, Mihai experienced a series of injuries - a " tennis elbow ", a twisted ankle, rib fractures and kidney injuries in a car accident, a tonsillectomy as well as discomfort in the knee. In October 1980, she was led only ranked 112 in the world rankings. She gave in a Erstrundenhaus on the Daihatsu Challenge tournament in Brighton to have lost their self-confidence and enthusiasm: "It's possible to start over, but I have all been through it. And so many younger play so well. I feel a little bit left out. " In 1981, she reached the final of tennis tournament in Chichester, where they but the South African Rene Uys ( 4:6. 3:6 ) was defeated. In 1983, she started for the Romanian Fed Cup team.
After the end of their active time Florenta Mihai remained connected to the tennis circuit and was a trainer. In 1992, she served as captain of the Romanian Fed Cup team. 2010 Tennis Tournament ( Turneul Florenta Mihai ) was named after her in Bucharest. Also carries a competition and tennis stadium in Iasi her name.