Monica Niculescu

Three Romanian tennis players: Irina Begu, Andreea Mitu and Raluca Olaru advanced to the second round of the women's doubles event at the US Open, the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, after wins on Thursday in New York. Irina Begu and Andreea Mitu beat the Caroline Garcia (France) / Nadia Podoroska (Argentina) duo 6-4 7-6 (4), in an hour and 45 minutes.

Chairman of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee (COSR) Mihai Covaliu tells AGERPRES in an interview that he is convinced Romanian athletes will stop in Tokyo the decline in the tally of Olympic medals that started in Sydney 2000. He says that in order to bring joy to Romanians, COSR needs the support of the government and its partners.

The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee (COSR) presented on Sunday evening Team Romania for the Tokyo Olympic Games (July 23 - August 8) which includes 100 athletes - 45 women and 55 in men - who will be competing in 17 sports.

Minister of Youth and Sports Eduard Novak told a press conference today that the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee (COSR) must proceed to the evaluation of the financing provided to female tennis players in recent years in order to determine whether they owe money to the state or not, given their refusal to participate in the Tokyo Olympics.

Former tennis player Ilie Nastase declared on Monday that the players that refused to take part in the singles' event of the Tokyo Olympic Games should return the money received from the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MTS) and the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee (COSR) for taking part in several tournaments if they have no reasons, but he mentioned that the players are injured.

Romanian tennis players Andreea Mitu and Monica Niculescu qualified for the second round of ladies' doubles event at Wimbledon, the third Gland Slam of the year, as they defeated Nicole Melichar (US) and Demi Schuurs (Netherlands) 6-2, 6-3. Mitu and Niculescu managed a remarkable victory, in one hour and 23 minutes, against the fourth seeded pair.

Bucharest, June 30 /Agerpres/ - Chairman of the Romanian Tennis Federation (FRT) Ion Tiriac announced on Wednesday that the Monica Niculescu- Raluca Olaru duo will be the only Romanian athletes qualified for the tennis competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games. "Competing for the Romanian tennis in Tokyo will be a women's double, I mean Monica Niculescu and Raluca Olaru.

Romanian tennis players Patricia Tig and Irina Begu on Monday advanced to the women's singles third round of the 235,238- USD Phillip Island Trophy WTA 250 tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia. Twenty-six-year old Tig, world number 56, defeated in the second round British Francesca Jones, 20, world number 245 WTA, 6-1 6-4 in an hour and 24 minutes.

Five Romanian players, Patricia Tig, Irina Begu, Ana Bogdan, Mihaela Buzarnescu and Monica Niculescu, will participate in the Phillip Island Trophy (WTA 250) tournament, with total prizes of 235,238 US dollars, which will debut in Melbourne on Saturday. Buzarnescu and Niculescu will play in the qualifiers, while Tig, Begu and Bogdan entered directly on the main board.

Romanian-French pair Mihaela Buzarnescu / Alize Cornet qualified on Tuesday for the quarterfinals of the doubles event of the Gippsland Trophy (WTA 500) tennis tournament in Melbourne, with total prizes of 565,530 dollars, by defeating Hayley Carter (USA) / Luisa Stefani (Brazil) 6-3, 6-1. Buzarnescu and Cornet won in only 55 minutes versus the 6th seeds.