Gabi Ruse achieves a significant, important, and tense victory – a thrilling three-set match – against Alicia Parks, the 2nd favorite of the tournament and the 54th-ranked player in the world. It ended 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 in favor of Gabi, securing her spot in the round of 16 at the Transylvania Open.
Gabi staged a remarkable comeback from 0-3 down in the decisive set (double break). She won the last four games of the match.
Currently ranked outside the top 150 and in the midst of a comeback, Gabi achieves a crucial success against an exceptionally challenging opponent. Parks, undoubtedly, is a player we will hear more about.
Considering Alicia Parks’ entry into the professional tennis scene, she is a phenomenon in her own right. She made her debut in 2021, quickly climbed into the Top 50, defeated the top 10 players, won her first WTA singles trophy, claimed a WTA 1000 doubles title, and equaled Venus Williams’ record for the fastest serve in the history of tennis at the US Open (207 km/h).
Parks is a player with an impressive physique, and aggressive and powerful tennis, characterized by exceptionally hard-hitting shots, especially on the playing surface.
The fact that Gabriela Ruse managed to dominate the American player from the baseline was remarkable. Gabi executed her game plan perfectly: she didn’t allow herself to be pushed behind the baseline, always maintained aggressive intentions, and maneuvered Alicia with powerful shots from left to right. This strategy paid off almost every time, as Parks struggled to generate her full power when forced to hit the ball from a distance.
The biggest credit to Gabriela was her ability, especially in the first set, to set the pace of the game. This forced Parks, a primarily offensive player, to defend more than attack.
However, as the match progressed and Parks found her rhythm on the court, the roles reversed. Parks began to dictate, and Gabriela was forced to respond to her pace and counterattack. As a result, the second set was firmly controlled by Parks, who unleashed her offensive tennis with long and powerful shots.
Heading into the deciding set, Gabriela seemed to have lost contact with Parks. The American was hitting solidly, compactly, and aggressively, thwarting Gabriela’s attempts to control two consecutive rallies. Parks quickly established a 3-0 lead with a double break, and it seemed all but lost.
Nevertheless, with the support of the crowd, point by point, Gabriela started her comeback. She first broke Parks’ serve, then closed the gap to just one game behind. However, Parks didn’t yield easily and extended her lead to 4-2. From this point, Gabriela excelled both defensively and offensively. She returned with precision and determination, allowing her to implement the game plan she executed so well in the first set – being aggressive, targeting the sidelines, and making Parks run and work hard for every point. From 2-4 down, Gabriela won the next four games in a row, securing her place in the round of 16 in Cluj.
In the quest for a spot in the quarterfinals at the Transylvania Open, Ruse will face Anna Bondar. The two have met twice before, with their head-to-head record standing at 1-1.
