Article by Luminița Paul – Published on Wednesday, 26 November 2025, 22:15 / Updated on Wednesday, 26 November 2025 22:16
Gabriela Ruse (28 years old, WTA number 101) passed the first round of the ITF W75 tournament in Trnava (Slovakia), 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-2 against Czech Julie Pastikova (17 years, WTA number 522).
Most of the players have closed their 2025 season, but the ITF circuit offers opportunities for those who still want to develop in the time remaining until next year.
Occasion for Gabriela Ruse to return to the field, after a month's break due to an injury, which did not allow him to play for the Romanian team in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers from Gorzow Wielkopolski.
This week she is the 2nd favorite in the W75 tournament in Trnava with total prize money of $60,000. Gabi met the very young Czech player in the inaugural round Julie Pastikovaonly 17 years old, this being their first duel.
On the green indoor hard, the Romanian led with 3-1 in the first set, she was tied, but managed to prevail with 6-4. However, she gave ground in the second act in the first part, returning, in turn, from 1-3but losing in a close tie-break, 5-7.
In the decider, however, he put all his experience to work and sprinted towards one 6-2 convincing. He had some fluctuations at work, reflected in those 4 aces and 5 double faultsbut ultimately found the winning route. The game was a marathon, lasting 3 hours and 3 minutes.
Gabriela Ruse goes to the second round
In the second round, she will meet the Camilla Rosatello from Italy (30 years old, 225th WTA), which she leads 2-0 in direct matches. Both came on clay, in 2021 in the WTA qualifiers in Palermo, 6-1, 6-0, and this year in Rouen, 6-0, 6-4 in the second round.
For now, Ruse has secured a jump of 3 places in the live WTA ranking, up to 98. She also played in a W75 tournament last week in Petange (Luxembourg), stopping in the 2nd round.
In Trnava he played on the main board and Ruxandra Bertea (304th WTA), the one who debuted in the Romanian BJK Cup team and also scored her first victory, against the New Zealander Vivian Yang. The Romanian went through two qualifying rounds, but on the main draw she stopped in the inaugural round, after 3-6, 0-6 in front of the Bulgarian Elizara Yaneva (380 WTA), in a match of 19 and 18-year-old girls, respectively.
Ruxandra Bertea getting ready for duty in the Romania-New Zealand BJK Cup match Photo: Imago Images
Bertea had played last week in a W50 tournament also in Trnava, advancing to the quarter-finals.
Romanians in the ITF tournament in Fujairah
In another W75 tournament, played in Fujairah (United Arab Emirates), Briana Szabo (20 years old, number 714 WTA), coming from the qualifications, passed to the 1st round of the compatriot Stefania Bojica (20 years old, 615th in the world), recipient of a wild card, 6-2, 7-5.
However, Szabo lost in the second round, 4-6, 3-6, in the dispute with Caroline Werner from Germany (29 years old, 261st place WTA). This result ensures her a jump to the 667th WTA place.
