Ana Bogdan has arrived at Transylvania Open in very good form, after four semifinals and her first WTA title. Ana has won 16 of her last 20 matches, and she aims to continue her ascent: No. 3 seed in Cluj, she starts against Jule Niemeier (Germany).
How was her season
Ana Bogdan is going through the best time of her career so far: this year she won her first WTA title, in Iași, and she played another final (in Warsaw) and two semifinals (Parma, Portoroz). Thanks to her recent performance in Parma, she entered WTA Top 50 for the first time.
Playing style
Ana plays balanced and round tennis, with counterpuncher nuances: very strong in the baseline rallies, she doesn’t rush to attack, but answers without hesitation when the rhythm increases. She is able to play very neatly and to be aggressive when she is feeling cornered. Her favorite shot is the backhand, down the line, and mainly the crosscourt shot.
To this compact tennis, Ana has been adding more coherence: she attacks more and harsher and has a more stable defence. And these changes show out: Ana wins without emotions the matches to be won, and she moves to the upper rounds much more often, displaying rhythm and continuity.
Big picture
Ana had to work hard for many years to reach a WTA final. But eventually, it happened this year, in Warsaw, and it happened just when she had found her peace and her inner benchmarks. More important is that Ana has understood that sometimes it matters more how you play the key points and not your overall game; in other words, Ana has also progressed from a mental perspective.
So now she is starting Transylvania Open as the player in the greatest possible form; she is living the best time of her career and could use this confidence in order to win her first WTA 250 title. She trains in Cluj throughout the year, so this is also an advantage for her: playing in front of her home fans. In short, Ana Bogdan is very well positioned to repeat her at Transylvania Open her latest performances.
