Ioana Raluca Olaru
Encyclopedia
Ioana Raluca Olaru is a Romania
n tennis player. As of 2 August 2010, she is ranked World No. 158 in singles and No. 104 in doubles. The winner of nine singles and six doubles ITF Circuit
titles, Olaru reached one WTA Tour singles final, at the 2009 Gastein Ladies
, losing to Andrea Petkovic
6–2, 6–3. 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
, 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
. Olaru reached her highest singles ranking, World No. 53, on 27 July 2009, and her highest doubles ranking, No. 82, on 22 March 2010.
. Her parents, Adrian and Doina, run a convenience store together. Her sister Cristina is sixteen years older than Olaru, and lives in London. Olaru began playing tennis aged seven, and cites Kim Clijsters
, Martina Navrátilová and Roger Federer
as her role models. She graduated from school in 2007, and is fluent in Romanian, English, French and Spanish.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n tennis player. As of 2 August 2010, she is ranked World No. 158 in singles and No. 104 in doubles. The winner of nine singles and six doubles ITF Circuit
International Tennis Federation
The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
titles, Olaru reached one WTA Tour singles final, at the 2009 Gastein Ladies
2009 Gastein Ladies
The 2009 Gastein Ladies is a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It is the 3rd edition of the Gastein Ladies, and is be part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2009 WTA Tour...
, losing to Andrea Petkovic
Andrea Petkovic
Andrea Petkovic is a professional German tennis player of Serbian origin. She is the highest ranked German tennis player. She lives in Griesheim near Darmstadt, Germany....
6–2, 6–3. She has also won one doubles title, at the 2008 Tashkent Open
2008 Tashkent Open
The 2008 Tashkent Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 10th edition of the Tashkent Open, and was part of the Tier IV Series of the 2008 WTA Tour. It took place at the Tashkent Tennis Center in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from September 29 through October 5,...
.
Olaru was a successful junior player. She was the runner–up in both singles and doubles at the 2005 French Open
2005 French Open
The 2005 French Open was the 104th edition of the tournament. Rafael Nadal, seeded fourth in his first French Open, was a strong favorite after winning the Rome and Monte Carlo Masters, with Guillermo Coria, a 2004 finalist and runner-up in Monaco, calling Nadal the best clay-court player in the...
, and captured the 2006 US Open doubles title along with Mihaela Buzărnescu
Mihaela Buzărnescu
Mihaela Buzărnescu is a professional Romanian tennis player.-Career highlights:Mihaela won the junior doubles title at the 2006 US Open partnering Ioana Raluca Olaru. Seeded No. 2, they defeated in the final the No...
. Her best professional grand slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
result so far has been the third round of the 2007 French Open
2007 French Open
The 2007 French Open was held in Paris, France from 27 May through to 10 June 2007. Followed two weeks later, as usual, by Wimbledon in London, United Kingdom. Rafael Nadal became the first man to win the tournament 3 times consecutively since Björn Borg, 1978–81; and maintained his unbeaten run...
, when she defeated the 30th seed Julia Vakulenko
Julia Vakulenko
Julia Olegovna Vakulenko is a professional Ukraine-born female tennis player. She achieved her career high ranking of No...
in straight sets and lost to eventual runner–up, the 7th seed Ana Ivanović
Ana Ivanovic
Ana Ivanović is a former world no. 1 Serbian tennis player. As of November 7, 2011, she is ranked 22th on the WTA rankings. She beat Dinara Safina to win the 2008 French Open and was the runner-up in singles at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open...
. Olaru reached her highest singles ranking, World No. 53, on 27 July 2009, and her highest doubles ranking, No. 82, on 22 March 2010.
Personal life
Ioana Raluca Olaru currently resides in her hometown BucharestBucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. Her parents, Adrian and Doina, run a convenience store together. Her sister Cristina is sixteen years older than Olaru, and lives in London. Olaru began playing tennis aged seven, and cites Kim Clijsters
Kim Clijsters
Kim Antonie Lode Clijsters is a Belgian professional tennis player. As of 7 November 2011, Clijsters is ranked No. 13 in singles. Clijsters is a former World No. 1 in both singles and doubles....
, Martina Navrátilová and Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
as her role models. She graduated from school in 2007, and is fluent in Romanian, English, French and Spanish.
Playing style
Olaru considers being a fighter as her biggest asset. She cites clay as her favourite surface and backhand down the line as favourite shot, but she can play well on all surfaces and she likes mixing up her game with drop shots. Olaru is currently coached by former player Michael Schapers.WTA singles 1 (0–1)
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Grand Slam Grand Slam (tennis) The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and... (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 2009 Gastein Ladies The 2009 Gastein Ladies is a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It is the 3rd edition of the Gastein Ladies, and is be part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2009 WTA Tour... , Austria |
Clay |  Andrea PetkovicAndrea Petkovic Andrea Petkovic is a professional German tennis player of Serbian origin. She is the highest ranked German tennis player. She lives in Griesheim near Darmstadt, Germany.... |
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 |  BudapestBudapest Grand Prix The Poli-Farbe Budapest Grand Prix, formerly Gaz de France Grand Prix, Budapest Grand Prix and GDF SUEZ Grand Prix, is a tennis tournament held in Budapest, Hungary. Held since 1993, this WTA Tour event is an International-level tournament and is played on outdoor clay... , Hungary |
Clay | Vanessa Henke |
 Alizé CornetAlizé Cornet Alizé Cornet is a French professional tennis player and the current French number three . She was born in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, and has a career-high ranking of No. 11, achieved on 16 February 2009; as of 4 July 2011 she is ranked World No. 69...  Janette HusárováJanette Husárová Janette Husárová is a professional female tennis player from Slovakia. She is probably best remembered for winning the WTA Tour Championships women's doubles title in 2002 partenering Russian Elena Dementieva... |
7–6(5), 1–6, [6–10] |
| Winner | 1. | 5 October 2008 |  TashkentTashkent Open The Tashkent Open by Zeromax is a tennis tournament held in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan. Held since 1999, this WTA Tour event is an International tournament and is played on outdoor hard courts.-Women's Singles:-Women's Doubles:... , Uzbekistan |
Hard |  Olga SavchukOlga Savchuk Olga Savchuk is a female tennis player. Her best accomplishment to date was reaching the third round of the 2006 Australian Open. Her career high ranking was #79, achieved on May 19, 2008.... |
 Nina BratchikovaNina Bratchikova Nina Bratchikova |Zhukovskiy]], Russia) is a professional Russian tennis player playing in the ITF Women's Circuit. On 24 May 2010, she reached her highest WTA singles ranking of 133. Her current singles ranking is 147 as of 13 November 2010... Kathrin Wörle |
5–7, 7–5, [10–7] |
| Winner | 2. | 26 February 2011 |  AcapulcoAcapulco Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history... , Mexico |
Hard | Mariya Koryttseva Mariya Koryttseva Mariya Koryttseva is a Ukrainian female tennis player. Her career high ranking is No. 50 in the world, which she achieved on August 18, 2008.... |
 Arantxa Parra SantonjaArantxa Parra Santonja Arantxa Parra Santonja is a professional female tennis player from Spain. She turned pro in 2000.On 12 July 2010, Parra Santonja reached her career-high singles ranking: World No... Lourdes Domínguez LinoLourdes Dominguez Lino Lourdes Domínguez Lino is a Spanish professional female tennis player. On 11 September 2006 Domínguez Lino reached her career-high singles ranking: World No... |
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 2005 French Open The 2005 French Open was the 104th edition of the tournament. Rafael Nadal, seeded fourth in his first French Open, was a strong favorite after winning the Rome and Monte Carlo Masters, with Guillermo Coria, a 2004 finalist and runner-up in Monaco, calling Nadal the best clay-court player in the... |
French Open | Clay | Ágnes Szávay Ágnes Szávay Ágnes Szávay is a professional tennis player from Hungary. She is the country's highest ranked tennis player. She was the WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2007. She achieved her career high ranking of World No. 13 on April 14, 2008.- Background :... |
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 2005 French Open The 2005 French Open was the 104th edition of the tournament. Rafael Nadal, seeded fourth in his first French Open, was a strong favorite after winning the Rome and Monte Carlo Masters, with Guillermo Coria, a 2004 finalist and runner-up in Monaco, calling Nadal the best clay-court player in the... |
French Open | Clay |  Amina Rakhim |
 Victoria AzarenkaVictoria Azarenka Victoria Azarenka is a Belarusian professional tennis player. Her career high and current ranking is world no. 3, which she first achieved on 12 September 2011. She became the highest-ranked Belarusian player ever, surpassing Natasha Zvereva by two spots.... Ágnes SzávayÁgnes Szávay Ágnes Szávay is a professional tennis player from Hungary. She is the country's highest ranked tennis player. She was the WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2007. She achieved her career high ranking of World No. 13 on April 14, 2008.- Background :... |
6–4, 4–6, 0–6 |
| Winner | 2006 | US Open | Hard |  Mihaela BuzărnescuMihaela Buzărnescu Mihaela Buzărnescu is a professional Romanian tennis player.-Career highlights:Mihaela won the junior doubles title at the 2006 US Open partnering Ioana Raluca Olaru. Seeded No. 2, they defeated in the final the No... |
 Sharon FichmanSharon Fichman Sharon Fichman is a Canadian professional tennis player. Fichman was ranked No. 5 on the junior circuit in December 2006. Since turning pro, so far her career highs are No. 114 in singles and No. 83 in doubles. Fichman is currently Canada's highest-ranked women's doubles player.-Early life:Fichman... Anastasia PavlyuchenkovaAnastasia Pavlyuchenkova Anastasia Sergeyevna Pavlyuchenkova is a Russian professional tennis player and a multiple junior Grand Slam champion. Her career-high rank of World No. 13 was achieved on 4 July 2011. From July 2007 to September 2009 she was coached at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France... |
7–5, 6–2 |
Singles performance timeline
| Tournament | 2003 2003 WTA Tour The WTA Tour is the elite tour for professional women's tennis organised by the Women's Tennis Association . The WTA Tour includes the four Grand Slam tournaments, the WTA Tour Championships and the WTA Tier I, Tier II, Tier III, Tier IV and Tier V events... | 2004 2004 WTA Tour The 2004 WTA Tour was the 32nd season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on January 5, 2004, and concluded on November 13, 2004, after 60 events.... | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 2007 WTA Tour The 2007 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour was the 35th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on January 1, 2007, and concluded on November 11, 2007 after 61 events. Two new events were added to the schedule for the 2007 season: the Barcelona KIA and Gastein Ladies. It also... | 2008 2008 WTA Tour The 2008 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour was the 36th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on December 31, 2007, and concluded on November 9, 2008 after 59 events.The season was characterised by its frequent changes in the No... | 2009 2009 WTA Tour The 2009 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour was the 37th season since the founding of the Women's Tennis Association. It commenced on January 5, 2009, and concluded on November 8, 2009 after 56 events.... | 2010 2010 WTA Tour The Women's Tennis Association Tour is the elite professional tennis circuit organized by the WTA. The 2010 WTA Tour calendar comprises the Grand Slam tournaments , the WTA Premier tournaments , the WTA International tournaments, the Fed Cup , and the year-end... | 2011 2011 WTA Tour The WTA Tour is the elite tour for women's professional tennis organized by the Women's Tennis Association . The 2011 WTA Tour includes the Grand Slam tournaments , the WTA Premier tournaments, the WTA International tournaments, the Fed Cup , the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, and the WTA... | Career Win-Loss |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam Tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | Q2 2009 Australian Open - Women's Singles Maria Sharapova was the defending champion, but chose not to participate this year, due to a shoulder injury.Serena Williams won in the final 6–0, 6–3, against Dinara Safina.-Seeds:# Jelena Janković ... |
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 | ||||||||||