Having qualified for the semifinals after two victories against Romanian players (Miriam Bulgaru and Ana Bogdan), Rebeka Masarova is getting ready to face her third Romanian opponent, Gabriela Ruse, on Saturday, in front of an increasingly boisterous crowd in Cluj. “At least now I’m used to the crowd,” she joked after her quarterfinal win.
Rebeka gave a lot of credit to Ana Bogdan, mentioning several times that she is an excellent player. “It was really difficult at the beginning because she played so well. I felt like I was playing well at the start, but she played better. In the second set, as soon as I got the break, she recovered, so it was mentally tough to stay in the match. I had a bit of luck in the tiebreak, and I won it, and in the third set, I may have changed tactics a bit,” said Masarova, adding:
“I think I played well with my backhand, moved well, made Ana hit an extra ball whenever I could, and served well, which helped.”
Regarding Gabriela Ruse, Masarova said, “She’s having a great week here. I know she had a tougher period in 2021, which was her good season, but it seems like she’s back on track, and she’s playing at home. So, I will have to play my best tennis to have a chance.”
Ana, in turn, also gave credit to Rebeka. “On one hand, I’m really sorry to be out of this competition because I love this tournament, but I have to give credit to her because she played really well and didn’t give an inch. There were some moments when if I had made different decisions, maybe the score would have been in my favor, but overall, I’m satisfied, and I’m thinking about what comes next. I’m optimistic, and I’m grateful for this year.”
“At one point, I felt the accumulated fatigue, and maybe that’s why I didn’t make the right decisions. These are matches I’m definitely not going to forget; I had a great tournament. It’s my favorite tournament, and I will definitely be back.”
Ana ended by wishing Gabriela Ruse success in her match against Masarova: “Yes, I really want there to be a Romanian in the final, and maybe even win this tournament. I wish her the best of luck.”
