Ioana Raluca Olaru

Ioana Raluca Olaru

Raluca Olaru at the 2009 US Open
Country  Romania
Residence Bucharest
Born 3 March 1989 (1989-03-03) (age 22)
Bucharest
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turned pro 2003
Plays Right-handed (two–handed backhand)
Career prize money US$526,182
Singles
Career record 175–103
Career titles 0 WTA, 9 ITF
Highest ranking No. 53 (27 July 2009)
Current ranking No. 186 (29 November 2010)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open 1R (2008, 2010)
French Open 3R (2007)
Wimbledon 2R (2009, 2010)
US Open 2R (2007, 2008)
Doubles
Career record 70–51
Career titles 2 WTA, 6 ITF
Highest ranking No. 82 (22 March 2010)
Current ranking No. 90 (29 November 2010)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open 1R (2008)
French Open 1R (2008)
Last updated on: 2 August 2010.

Ioana Raluca Olaru (born 3 March 1989) is a Romanian tennis player. As of 2 August 2010, she is ranked World No. 158 in singles[1] and No. 104 in doubles.[2] The winner of nine singles and six doubles ITF Circuit titles,[3] Olaru reached one WTA Tour singles final, at the 2009 Gastein Ladies,[4] losing to Andrea Petkovic 6–2, 6–3.[5] She has also won one doubles title, at the 2008 Tashkent Open.

Olaru was a successful junior player. She was the runner–up in both singles and doubles at the 2005 French Open,[6] and captured the 2006 US Open doubles title along with Mihaela Buzărnescu. Her best professional grand slam result so far has been the third round of the 2007 French Open, when she defeated the 30th seed Julia Vakulenko in straight sets and lost to eventual runner–up, the 7th seed Ana Ivanović.[7] Olaru reached her highest singles ranking, World No. 53, on 27 July 2009, and her highest doubles ranking, No. 82, on 22 March 2010.[3]

Contents

Personal life

Ioana Raluca Olaru currently resides in her hometown Bucharest.[8] Her parents, Adrian and Doina, run a convenience store together.[9] Her sister Cristina is sixteen years older than Olaru, and lives in London.[9] Olaru began playing tennis aged seven,[8] and cites Kim Clijsters,[10] Martina Navrátilová and Roger Federer as her role models.[9] She graduated from school in 2007, and is fluent in Romanian, English, French and Spanish.[10]

Playing style

Olaru considers being a fighter as her biggest asset.[9] She cites clay as her favourite surface[8] and backhand down the line as favourite shot,[10] but she can play well on all surfaces and she likes mixing up her game with drop shots.[9] Olaru is currently coached by former player Michael Schapers.[10]

Career finals

WTA singles 1 (0–1)

Legend
Grand Slam (0)
WTA Championships (0)
Premier Mandatory (0)
Premier 5 (0)
Premier (0)
International (1)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in Final Score in Final
Runner-up 1. 26 July 2009 Bad Gastein, Austria Clay Andrea Petkovic 2–6, 3–6

WTA doubles 3 (1–1)

Legend: Before 2009 Legend: Starting in 2009
Grand Slam (0)
WTA Championships (0)
Tier I (0) Premier Mandatory (0)
Tier II (0) Premier 5 (0)
Tier III (1) Premier (0)
Tier IV & V (1) International (0)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponent in Final Score in Final
Runner-up 1. 5 July 2008 Budapest, Hungary Clay Vanessa Henke Alizé Cornet
Janette Husárová		 7–6(5), 1–6, [6–10]
Winner 1. 5 October 2008 Tashkent, Uzbekistan Hard Olga Savchuk Nina Bratchikova
Kathrin Wörle		 5–7, 7–5, [10–7]
Winner 2. 26 February 2011 Acapulco, Mexico Hard Mariya Koryttseva Arantxa Parra Santonja
Lourdes Domínguez Lino		 5–7, 7–5, [10–7]

Grand slam junior singles 1 (0–1)

Outcome Date Tournament Surface Opponent in Final Score in Final
Runner-up 2005 French Open Clay Ágnes Szávay 1–6, 2–6

Grand slam junior doubles finals (1–1)

Outcome Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponent in Final Score in Final
Runner-up 2005 French Open Clay Amina Rakhim Victoria Azarenka
Ágnes Szávay		 6–4, 4–6, 0–6
Winner 2006 US Open Hard Mihaela Buzărnescu Sharon Fichman
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova		 7–5, 6–2

Singles performance timeline

Tournament 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Career
Win-Loss
Grand Slam Tournaments
Australian Open A A A A A 1R Q2 1R Q2 0–2
French Open A A A A 3R 1R 1R 1R Q1 2–4
Wimbledon A A A A A 1R 2R 2R Q1 2–3
US Open A A A A 2R 2R 1R Q1 2–3
Win-Loss 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 3–2 0–4 1–4 1–2 0–0 6–12

References

  1. ^ Sony Ericsson WTA Tour | Rankings | Singles Rankings
  2. ^ Sony Ericsson WTA Tour | Rankings | Doubles Rankings
  3. ^ a b Sony Ericsson WTA Tour | Players | Stats | Ioana Raluca Olaru
  4. ^ Sony Ericsson WTA Tour: Petkovic, Olaru Into Final (25 July 2009)
  5. ^ Sony Ericsson WTA Tour: Petkovic Wins First Tour Title (26 July 2009)
  6. ^ Sony Ericsson WTA Tour | Players | Info (Awards) | Ioana Raluca Olaru
  7. ^ Sony Ericsson WTA Tour | Players | Activity | Ioana Raluca Olaru
  8. ^ a b c Ioana Raluca Olaru at the International Tennis Federation
  9. ^ a b c d e Sony Ericsson WTA Tour: Getting to Know... Ioana Raluca Olaru (24 July 2009)
  10. ^ a b c d Sony Ericsson WTA Tour | Players | Info (Biography) | Ioana Raluca Olaru

External links

Women's Tennis Association: Top ten Romanian female doubles tennis players as of January 2, 2012
1. Monica Niculescu (50 ) · 2. Alexandra Dulgheru (57 ) · 3. Irina-Camelia Begu (64 ) · 4. Sorana Cîrstea (71 ) · 5. Elena Bogdan (100 )
6. Ioana Raluca Olaru (115 ) · 7. Edina Gallovits-Hall (125 ) · 8. Mihaela Buzărnescu (173 ) · 9. Alexandra Cadanțu (191 2) · 10. Simona Halep (202 1)