Monica Niculescu and Gabriela Ruse, the perfect couple. The Romanians are champions in Hong Kong

Monica Niculescu and Gabriela Ruse, the perfect couple. The Romanians are champions in Hong Kong

Monica Niculescu, doubles specialist, decided to play in the WTA 125 tournament in Hong Kong alongside her compatriot, Gabriela Ruse. The decision was excellent, considering that the Romanian women became champions, after defeating the Japanese pair Nao Hibino/Makoto Ninomiya in the final, score 6-3, 5-7, 10-5.

Monica Niculescu and Gabriela Ruse, champions in Hong Kong. Photo hktennisopen

Monica Niculescu won her 13th career title, while for Gabriela Ruse it is the first WTA doubles title, but she also has 11 victories in the ITF. The two had qualified in the last act in Hong Kong after they passed in the semi-finals the favorites no. 1, Ulrikke Eikeri (Norway) and Fang-Hsien Wu (Taiwan).

Niculescu and Ruse were rewarded with a check for 6,000 dollars and 125 WTA points. For the two athletes, it is the second doubles title they have won together, after in 2021 they won in Nottingham, on grass, in an ITF tournament.

Adrian Stoica

Adrian Stoica

Adrian is the founder and the visionary behind Cluj Napoca, a media platform committed to capturing and sharing the vibrant stories of Cluj-Napoca and Romania with an international audience. A graduate in international journalism from the University of Bucharest and holder of a Master’s in Cultural Studies from Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Adrian has a robust educational background that equips him to understand and analyze the complexities of his native region's culture and history.