2021Transylvania Open...WTA ???...Cluj Napoca, Romania

[don_budge]

https://www.wtatennis.com/tournament/2050/cluj-napoca/2021/draws

My first foray into the world of women's tennis. Women are one of the things that I actually know one or two things about. I was brought up with three sisters for one thing. Married early and divorced even earlier...I went down the rabbit hole of relationships for nearly thirty years before being happily married here in Sweden for some sixteen years or so. Here in Sweden I translated some forty research papers in Swedish to English for American and British medical publications. Those efforts were made on the behalf of a Swedish Midwife not to mention put a bit of food on the table for me. Sometimes I joke that between my work in translation and my career of failed relationships it has earned me an honorary OBGYN degree. Gynaecologist. That's a joke...sort of.

But anyways...the reason for this foray is none other than Emma Raducanu. This is going to be very, very interesting going forwards. A stunning and hard to believe win at the 2021 U. S. Open in New York brings her to this tournament in Romania. Why is she playing in Romania a thoughtful person might ask themselves? It's because she is Romanian. When I heard that name first back around Wimbledon that was the first thing I thought of. I wasn't surprised that she had immigrated to Canada...or rather her parents probably did. Many Romanians fled the country by any means necessary. I have some very dear friends who made that harrowing adventure.

Emma plays her first round today around 14.30 here is Sweden. I will be watching with my coaching eye on. Never mind the other silly business.

[don_budge]

https://www.wtatennis.com/tournament/2050/cluj-napoca/2021/draws

But anyways...the reason for this foray is none other than Emma Raducanu. This is going to be very, very interesting going forwards. A stunning and hard to believe win at the 2021 U. S. Open in New York brings her to this tournament in Romania. Why is she playing in Romania a thoughtful person might ask themselves? It's because she is Romanian. When I heard that name first back around Wimbledon that was the first thing I thought of. I wasn't surprised that she had immigrated to Canada...or rather her parents probably did. Many Romanians fled the country by any means necessary. I have some very dear friends who made that harrowing adventure.

Emma plays her first round today around 14.30 here is Sweden. I will be watching with my coaching eye on. Never mind the other silly business.

A humdinger of a rollercoaster ride for Emma Raducanu in the first round. It looks as if she is poised to finally put her opponent in the locker room. Emma was up 4-1 and a break of serve in the first, then ended up losing it 6-4. She looked pretty uncomfortable playing the number 120 something ranked woman in the world but leads 5-0 in the third. She hung in there when she could have thrown in the towel. But all in all...a pretty unimpressive performance by the U. S. Open Women's Champion.

Her opponent, for her part had some rather interesting tattoos that basically covered both arms. What possesses people to get these extensive tattoos. I'm just wondering as the thought to get a tattoo has never occurred to me...that I know of.

[don_budge]

Emma Raducanu is Romanian. Her father is from Romania and he immigrated to Canada. She did the interview in somewhat halting Romanian. By her own admission she understands "80%" of what is being said but she soldiered through the interview in pretty good fashion. The crowd loved it. What crowd there was. I believe that after her match the crowd was removed due to government intervention with a COVID scare. No public assembly! Such hysteria. Get your masks on! Get vaccinated! Will we ever see the light of day? Actually at the moment there is light of day in Scandinavia...there are no restrictions other than using good common sense here in Sweden and Norway. Denmark too. This is the weirdest thing I have ever witnessed in my entire life and I've seen some serious shit.

Jaqueline Cristian earned 3-6, 7-6(8), 7-6(3) win over Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan. Crisian is a very attractive young Romanian lady who is quite a character. She came out to her match wearing a robe out of the Count Dracula mode of fashion. She donned it for her interview as well. So apropos for the Transylvania Open. Having a little fun. Amazing she didn't have the cancel culture on her for something or other. Having a little fun with Vlad the Impaler stereotypes. Cute kid.

I am becoming a bit more familiar with the women's tour. This is a dangerous thing where don_budge is concerned. He has quite an eye for the ladies you know. Yesterday a Facebook friend referred to don_budge as the American Adriano Panatta. In a message he was recounting a tournament where he saw me play and some of my antics...my play. The talent. Behavior. Performance. I was quite an actor you know...back in the day. My friend was the supervisor of the junior program where I met Aaron Krickstein. Man...we had such a great, great bunch of characters and juniors in that program. Mark Conte was the owner of the house. An amazing character himself. Imagine that...Adriano Panatta. Of course he was going a bit overboard...he is the great promoter type. Subject to a bit of hyperbole. But I won't argue. I'll take that one. I cannot get over that...the American Adriano Panatta. Sigh...

[don_budge]

Emma Raducanu is still a "girl". Now she is up against the best women in the world. I really cannot understand how she managed to win the U. S. Open. I watched her at Wimbledon and thought much the same thing. A girl. She is an amazing talent. As young as she is...she has the savvy of an older soul. Perhaps something genetic from Transylvania. The Romanians love their "Vlad the Impaler" lore. Good service motion with loads of potential...if she transforms to platform stance. Solid backcourt game with the all court presence of mind to make the occasional foray to the net. Enjoyed watching her at this tournament. I can see the psychological struggle going on...youth versus impetuous. Maturity on the horizon. I don't think she is spoiled but worry about all of the slobbering being lavished on her. Hopefully she will be wise enough to put the Open behind her. I thought she did a pretty good job here. But the big thing will be putting the Open in the rear view. As if it never happened. What she needs more than anything is a good cornerman. She has great instincts and she only has to learn to trust them...in steel.