Far from the spotlights of Doha and Dubai, tennis player Irina Fetecău performed last week in an ITF W35 tournament, in Thailand, in Nakhon Si Thammarat, where she reached the final.
Irina Fetecău, finalist in Thailand
The last accepted on the main draw, Irina passed by Kaylah Mcphee (Australia, 373 WTA and former 199 WTA), score 6-2 6-2, and the Chinese Wushuang Zheng (611 WTA) with 2-6 6-1 6 -4, by Xinxin Yao (20 years old, 489 WTA) 7-6(3) 6-1 and by Fangzhou Liu (444 WTA, ex 127 WTA) 6-4 6-3. In the last act, the athlete from Romania lost to the local Peangtarn Plipuech (496 WTA, former 175 WTA), score 6-3 3-6 2-6.
The Bucharest native underwent a complicated operation in 2022. She was absent from the circuit for 15 months, and this is an important step in returning close to the Top 200, where she was before the operation. Thanks to the 23 points, she will climb around the 484th WTA place.
Irina Fetecău, getting back in shape
Fetecău (27 years old) won an ITF W25 title in Thailand in February 2020, and according to freelancer Daniel Radu, she remains the only Romanian under 29 with a final played on a hard surface, outdoors, in a professional tournament with total prize money greater than $15,000, unseeded, from December 2019 and the only one, regardless of age, from March 2020.
Last year, 41% of these tournaments took place on hard, outdoors. If we also consider the series leaders, the last “tricolor” who also reached such a pose was Jaqueline Cristian, in September 2022, being the main favorite of the ITF W80+H Le Neubourg (France), which she won.
Irina Fetecău was accompanied by physical trainer Traian Vidrașcu and collaborates with trainers Vlad Damian and Rareș Mercean, physiotherapists Alex Măzăreanu and Ilie Stancu, as well as doctors Alin Pandea, Marian Anghelescu and Nicu Anghel, who help her and have helped her during the post – operation. She will return to competition next month.
