Eliminated from the singles draw, Gabriela Ruse and Jaqueline Cristian have qualified for the doubles semifinals at the Transylvania Open.
The two Romanian players defeated the pair of Eudice Chong and En Shuo Liang in straight sets, 6–2, 7–5.
“It was a very good match for us. I think we both played quite well. I was a bit more nervous today, but we did our job and I’m happy we’re playing the semifinals tomorrow. We really want to win this tournament — that’s probably why I was so nervous on court today, because I truly want to win,” said Gabi, who also announced she is withdrawing from the Doha tournament in order to try to win the doubles trophy in Cluj.
“First of all, because I feel quite tired, and secondly because we only get to play in our home country twice a year, I think it’s worth the effort to skip Doha. There are plenty of tournaments ahead for me. I played a lot in Australia and I need some recovery time after the whole Australian swing.”
Jaqueline was also pleased with the level they showed in doubles:
“I think it was one of the best matches we’ve played together. We really handled the situation well, and I think that’s the most important thing. Tomorrow is a new day, one where we can wake up feeling good and with positive thoughts. Before the doubles match, my mom told me I was in a terrible state. I had to push myself, in a way, to get on court and focus on the doubles match. Playing with Gabi made it a bit easier because when you have good energy on court, you forget a bit about everything else. I just tried to focus on the ball and give myself a chance to end this beautiful day with a better feeling on court.”
Gabi and Jaq, two of the most beloved players in Cluj, spoke openly about their desire to go all the way in the doubles event:
“We really want to win this tournament. We feel good on court, we’re healthy, and we always enjoy the atmosphere here in Cluj when we play in front of the crowd. The fact that our singles matches ended a bit earlier is, theoretically, a good thing for the doubles matches. We’re trying to enjoy the experience.”
