With her impressive comeback in the decisive set against Alycia Parks, Gabi Ruse became one of the highlights of Tuesday at the Transylvania Open.
“At 3-0 for her in the decider, Rafael Nadal’s words came to my mind. He always says that he fights for every point, and ultimately, at 3-0, I detached a bit from everything that was happening at that moment because I felt like I was letting the match slip through my fingers. I tried to focus on every point, and I believe that was the key to success,” Gabi said at the press conference.
“I fought until the end, and at some point, I got back into the match. I am extremely happy that I played such a great match at home. If it weren’t for the audience, I don’t know if I could have played so well. I’ve worked hard in the recent period. It showed at times, and at other times, it didn’t. I am very, very happy with what happened on the court today. She had to face several things: me, the audience, and the conditions here. And I think it was very tough for her. I even talked to her in the locker room, and she told me she was a bit tired because she had played a lot of tournaments. And I understand her because when I was close to the Top 50, I played a lot of tournaments,” Gabi added.
“I had a lot of nerves. Alycia is a very, very strong player, and serves very hard. It was very tough for me. It was tough also because I play doubles with her, and we have a very good relationship. But I am very, very happy for today’s victory and I can’t wait for the next match.”
Gabi will continue to play against Anna Bondar. The two have met twice before, with a 1-1 head-to-head record.
“With Anna, I’m very good friends, our parents are family friends. I know her very well, and she knows me as well. So, it will be an interesting match.”
When asked if she can go all the way here, Gabi said that there is still a long way to go before winning the trophy:
“At this moment, I feel much more prepared than when I won the WTA tournament in Hamburg. Back then, I think I didn’t really understand what this sport was all about. I was inexperienced, but now I have my way, and I know exactly what I need to do. I’m not thinking about the result. I want to give my best, and I believe that, at some point, one day, the world will see that I can do more.”
