Irina Spîrlea
Irina Spîrlea (born 26 March 1974) is a retired tennis player from Romania who turned professional in 1990. She won four singles and six doubles titles during her career. Spîrlea reached her highest individual ranking on the WTA Tour on 13 October 1997, when she became number 7 in the world. She retired in 2000.
Country (sports) | ![]() |
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Residence | Rome, Italy |
Born | Bucharest, Romania | 26 March 1974
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
Turned pro | 1990 |
Retired | 2000 |
Plays | Right-handed (one handed-backhand) |
Prize money | US$ 2,652,068 |
Singles | |
Career record | 291–189 |
Career titles | 4 WTA, 3 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 7 (13 October 1997) |
Grand Slam Singles results | |
Australian Open | QF (1997) |
French Open | 4R (1994, 1996, 1997) |
Wimbledon | 4R (1997, 1998) |
US Open | SF (1997) |
Other tournaments | |
Tour Finals | SF (1997, 1998) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 200–154 |
Career titles | 6 WTA, 5 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 16 (2 October 1995) |
Personal life
Spîrlea married Massimiliano Pace, her former coach, in 2001, and has a son, Tommaso, born in 2002, as well as a younger daughter, Francesca.[1][2]
Career
Irina Spîrlea is one of the more successful tennis players from Romania, being one of only three women to have reached the top 10 (the others being Virginia Ruzici and Simona Halep.)[3] Her best performance at a Grand Slam tournament was a semi-final at the US Open in 1997. She won the WTA's Newcomer of the Year award in 1994.[4]
In 1996 Spîrlea became the first player in the history of the Women's Tennis Association to receive a match default for conduct when she swore at an official in Italian during a match played in Palermo, Italy.[5][6]
Spîrlea was involved in a bumping incident with Venus Williams during a changeover in the semifinals of the 1997 US Open. Spîrlea collided with Williams near the net post while changing ends, and did not move sideways. Spîrlea went on to lose the match 6–7, 6–4, 6–7 in a third-set tiebreak, after holding two match points, at 6–4 and 6–5 in the tie breaker. Williams' father accused Spîrlea of racism, and later called her "an ugly white turkey".[7] Spîrlea accused Williams of arrogance, saying in a press conference following the match, "I'm not going to move. She never tries to turn (...) She thinks she's the fucking Venus Williams."[8][9][7] Williams, however, shrugged off the confrontation saying "I thought we both weren't looking. I'm sorry she feels that way. It's not a big thing to me. No one said 'Excuse me'.[10]
WTA Tour finals
Singles: 10 (4–6)
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Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | 27 September 1993 | Sapporo | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
4–6, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 2. | 25 April 1994 | Taranto | Clay | ![]() |
2–6, 3–6 |
Winner | 1. | 4 July 1994 | Palermo | Clay | ![]() |
6–4, 1–6, 7–6(7–5) |
Runner-up | 3. | 2 January 1995 | Jakarta | Hard | ![]() |
6–2, 6–7(6–8), 4–6 |
Winner | 2. | 10 July 1995 | Palermo | Clay | ![]() |
7–6(7–1), 6–2 |
Winner | 3. | 8 April 1996 | Amelia Island | Clay | ![]() |
6–7(7–9), 6–4, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 4. | 3 March 1997 | Indian Wells | Hard | ![]() |
2–6, 1–6 |
Runner-up | 5. | 30 March 1998 | Hilton Head Island | Clay | ![]() |
3–6, 4–6 |
Winner | 4. | 18 May 1998 | Strasbourg | Clay | ![]() |
7–6(7–5), 6–3 |
Runner-up | 6. | 19 April 1999 | Cairo | Clay | ![]() |
1–6, 0–6 |
Doubles: 13 (6–7)
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Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 1. | 25 April 1994 | Taranto | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 2–6, 6–1 |
Winner | 2. | 2 January 1995 | Jakarta | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–2, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 1 | 24 April 1995 | Zagreb | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
5–7, 2–6 |
Runner-up | 2. | 29 January 1996 | Tokyo | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–7(7–9), 3–6 |
Winner | 3. | 6 May 1996 | Rome | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 3–6, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 3. | 4 November 1996 | Oakland | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
1–6, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 4. | 19 May 1997 | Madrid | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
3–6, 2–6 |
Runner-up | 5. | 2 November 1998 | Leipzig | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
Elena Likhovtseva![]() |
3–6, 7–6(7–2), 1–6 |
Runner-up | 6. | 4 January 1999 | Gold Coast | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
3–6, 3–6 |
Winner | 4. | 22 February 1999 | Paris | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
7–5, 3–6, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 7. | 19 April 1999 | Cairo | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
7–5, 1–6, 6–7(7–9) |
Winner | 5. | 20 September 1999 | Luxembourg | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–1, 6–2 |
Winner | 6. | 25 October 1999 | Linz | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 6–3 |
ITF Circuit finals
Legend |
---|
$100,000 tournaments |
$75,000 tournaments |
$50,000 tournaments |
$25,000 tournaments |
$10,000 tournaments |
Singles
Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | 24 September 1990 | Mali Lošinj, Yugoslavia | Clay | ![]() |
3–6, 1–6 |
Winner | 2. | 3 June 1991 | Milan, Italy | Clay | ![]() |
6–4, 7–5 |
Winner | 3. | 3 February 1992 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Clay | ![]() |
6–3, 6–2 |
Winner | 4. | 14 June 1993 | Brindisi, Italy | Clay | ![]() |
6–1, 5–7, 6–3 |
Doubles
Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | 13 August 1990 | Rebecq, Belgium | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
4–6, 2–6 |
Winner | 2. | 20 August 1990 | Koksijde, Belgium | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–1, 2–6, 6–3 |
Winner | 3. | 17 September 1990 | Rabac, Yugoslavia | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
1–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 4. | 24 September 1990 | Mali Lošinj, Yugoslavia | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
1–6, 1–6 |
Winner | 5. | 8 October 1990 | Bol, Croatia | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
4–6, 6–3, 6–1 |
Runner-up | 6. | 29 May 1991 | Brindisi, Italy | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
1–6, 6–7 |
Runner-up | 7. | 29 July 1991 | Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
4–6, 5–7 |
Runner-up | 8. | 12 August 1991 | Pisticci, Italy | Hard | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
4–6, 6–3, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 9. | 3 February 1992 | Jakarta, Indonesia | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
1–6, 0–6 |
Winner | 10. | 28 September 1992 | Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Italy | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–0, 6–0 |
Runner-up | 11. | 22 November 1992 | Nottingham, United Kingdom | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–7(3–7), 4–6 |
Winner | 12. | 30 November 1992 | Le Havre, France | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–3, 7–6 |
Runner-up | 13. | 14 June 1993 | Brindisi, Italy | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
5–7, 6–4, 2–6 |
Grand Slam singles performance timeline
Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | SR | W–L | W% | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Slam Tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Australian Open | A | A | A | A | 1R | 4R | 2R | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 0 / 7 | 8–7 | 53% | ||||||||||
French Open | A | A | 1R | A | 4R | 3R | 4R | 4R | 1R | 3R | 1R | 0 / 8 | 13–8 | 62% | ||||||||||
Wimbledon | A | A | A | A | 2R | 3R | 2R | 4R | 4R | 1R | 1R | 0 / 7 | 10–7 | 59% | ||||||||||
US Open | A | A | Q1 | A | 1R | 1R | 3R | SF | 4R | 3R | A | 0 / 6 | 12–6 | 67% | ||||||||||
Win–Loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 4–4 | 7–4 | 7–4 | 15–4 | 6–4 | 4–4 | 0–3 | 0 / 28 | 43–28 | 61% | ||||||||||
Year-End Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tour Championships | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | SF | SF | A | A | 0 / 3 | 4–3 | 57% | ||||||||||
Tier I Tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tokyo | Tier II | A | A | A | 2R | 2R | QF | A | A | 0 / 3 | 4–3 | 57% | ||||||||||||
Chicago | A | Tier II | Not Held | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | 0% | ||||||||||||||||||
Boca Raton | Tier II | A | A | Tier II | Not Held | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | 0% | ||||||||||||||||
Indian Wells | Tier II | F | 3R | 2R | 2R | 0 / 5 | 8–5 | 62% | ||||||||||||||||
Miami | A | A | A | A | 1R | 2R | QF | QF | 2R | 2R | 2R | 0 / 7 | 8–7 | 53% | ||||||||||
Charleston | A | A | A | A | 1R | 3R | QF | 3R | F | 2R | A | 0 / 6 | 11–6 | 65% | ||||||||||
Berlin | A | A | A | A | A | SF | A | 3R | QF | 1R | 1F | 0 / 5 | 7–5 | 58% | ||||||||||
Rome | A | A | Q1 | A | SF | 3R | SF | QF | 3R | 3R | 1R | 0 / 8 | 15–8 | 65% | ||||||||||
Montreal / Toronto | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | 3R | 1R | A | 0 / 4 | 1–4 | 20% | ||||||||||
Moscow | Tier V | Not Held | Tier III | QF | 1R | A | A | 0 / 2 | 1–2 | 33% | ||||||||||||||
Zürich | Tier II | A | A | 1R | 2R | 2R | SF | 2R | A | 0 / 5 | 6–5 | 55% | ||||||||||||
Philadelphia | NH | Tier II | A | A | QF | Tier II | 0 / 4 | 5–4 | 56% | |||||||||||||||
Career Statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year-End Ranking | 310 | 208 | 164 | 63 | 43 | 21 | 10 | 8 | 15 | 35 | 167 |
- A = did not participate in the tournament.
- SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.
Record against other top players
Spîrlea's win-loss record against certain players who have been ranked World No. 10 or higher is as follows:
Players who have been ranked World No. 1 are in boldface.
- Dominique Monami 6–3
- Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 5–5
- Mary Joe Fernández 4–0
- Karina Habšudová 4–1
- Amanda Coetzer 4–4
- Julie Halard-Decugis 3–2
- Ai Sugiyama 3–2
- Mary Pierce 3–5
- Monica Seles 3–5
- Barbara Schett 2–0
- Brenda Schultz-McCarthy 2–0
- Anna Kournikova 2–1
- Sandrine Testud 2–1
- Gabriela Sabatini 2–2
- Chanda Rubin 2–3
- Natasha Zvereva 2–5
- Lori McNeil 1–0
- Paola Suárez 1–0
- Andrea Temesvári 1–0
- Nathalie Tauziat 1–2
- Serena Williams 1–3
- Venus Williams 1–3
- Conchita Martínez 1–4
- Barbara Paulus 1–4
- Lindsay Davenport 1–6
- Anke Huber 1–7
- Kimiko Date 0–1
- Zina Garrison 0–1
- Martina Navratilova 0–1
- Patty Schnyder 0–1
- Jennifer Capriati 0–2
- Steffi Graf 0–2
- Iva Majoli 0–3
- Martina Hingis 0–6
- Jana Novotná 0–6
References
- Article in Romanian Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- Article in Romanian
- Article in Romanian Archived 12 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- The Enquirer – This article is no longer available
- CNN/SI – US Open Player Profiles
- sportsillustrated.cnn.com
- telegraph.co.uk
- Harris, Cecil (1 February 2020). Different Strokes: Serena, Venus, and the Unfinished Black Tennis Revolution. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-1-4962-1465-2.
- Father of tennis star Venus Williams charges racism during recent U.S. Open – Richard Williams|Jet|Find Articles at BNET.com
External links
- Irina Spîrlea at the Women's Tennis Association
- Irina Spîrlea at the International Tennis Federation
- Irina Spîrlea at the Billie Jean King Cup
Preceded by Iva Majoli |
WTA Newcomer of the Year 1994 |
Succeeded by Martina Hingis |