Virginia Ruzici

Virginia Ruzici (born 31 January 1955) is a Romanian former professional tennis player. She won the 1978 French Open singles championship.

Career Ruzici became a professional tennis player in 1975. One of her main assets on court was her powerful forehand. In a career spanning 12 years, Ruzici won 12 career singles titles, including one Grand Slam title, the 1978 French Open. In the final, she beat 1977 French Open champion Mima Jaušovec 6–2, 6–2. Ruzici also won the French Open doubles event with Jaušovec in 1978 and reached the mixed doubles final in 1978. She appeared in the French Open singles final in 1980, but lost in straight sets to Chris Evert.

Ruzici remained in the world's top 20 from 1977 to 1983. She regularly featured in the Romania Fed Cup team throughout her career, and began playing for them in 1973, two years before turning professional.

At Wimbledon 1978, Ruzici lost a notable match in the quarterfinal to the Australian Evonne Goolagong who was playing with an injured ankle. Goolagong's injury led to her collapsing on court and her husband, Roger Cawley, came on to the court to aid his wife, technically defaulting the Australian from the match. When Goolagong recovered, Ruzici agreed to continue the match, but lost 7–5, 6–3 and was praised for her sportsmanship. It has been stated during TV commentaries that Ruzici's victory in 1980 at a tournament in Salt Lake City was watched by Richard Williams who was inspired by her triumph and prize money to teach his daughters Venus and Serena Williams to play tennis.

Ruzici was the manager of Romanian tennis player Simona Halep until 2022.

Grand Slam tournament finals Singles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner–up) ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScoreWin 1978 French Open Clay Mima Jaušovec 6–2, 6–2Loss 1980 French Open Clay Chris Evert 0–6, 3–6

Doubles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner–up) ResultYearChampionship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreWin 1978 French Open Clay Mima Jaušovec Gail Sherriff Lovera Lesley Turner Bowrey 6–4, 6–3Loss 1978 Wimbledon Grass Mima Jaušovec Kerry Melville Reid Wendy Turnbull 6–4, 8–9(8), 3–6

Mixed doubles: 2 (2 runner-ups) ResultYearChampionship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1978 French Open Clay Patrice Dominguez Renáta Tomanová Pavel Složil 6–4, 6–7, ret.Loss 1979 French Open Clay Ion Țiriac Wendy Turnbull Bob Hewitt 3–6, 6–2, 3–6

WTA career finals Singles: 27 (12–15) LegendGrand Slam tournaments (1–1)WTA Championships (0–0) Virginia Slims, Avon, other (11–14)Finals by surfaceHard (1–2)Grass (0–1)Clay (9–10)Carpet (2–2)

Doubles: 35 (16–19) LegendGrand Slam tournaments (1–1)WTA Championships (0–0)Virginia Slims, Avon, other (15–18)Finals by surfaceHard (2–1)Grass (1–1)Clay (10–11)Carpet (3–6) ResultNo.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss 1. Nov 1973 London, UK Carpet (i) Mariana Simionescu Lesley Charles Glynis Coles 3–6, 5–7Win 1. Nov 1974 Edinburgh Cup, UK Carpet (i) Mima Jaušovec María-Isabel Fernández Raquel Giscafré 6–4, 4–6, 6–4Loss 2. Mar 1976 Tallahassee, U.S. Clay Mariana Simionescu Julie Anthony Dianne Fromholtz 2–6, 5–7Loss 3. May 1976 Italian Open Clay Mariana Simionescu Linky Boshoff Ilana Kloss 1–6, 2–6Win 2. Oct 1976 Spanish Open Clay Florența Mihai Nathalie Fuchs Michele Gurdal 6–2, 6–4Loss 4. Jan 1977 Minneapolis Indoors, U.S. Carpet (i) Mima Jaušovec Rosie Casals Martina Navratilova 2–6, 1–6Win 3. May 1978 German Open Clay Mima Jaušovec Katja Ebbinghaus Helga Niessen Masthoff 6–4, 5–7, 6–0Win 4. May 1978 Italian Open Clay Mima Jaušovec Florența Mihai Betsy Nagelsen 6–2, 2–6, 7–6Win 5. May 1978 French Open Clay Mima Jaušovec Gail Sherriff Lovera Lesley Turner Bowrey 5–7, 6–4, 8–6Loss 5. Jun 1978 Wimbledon, UK Grass Mima Jaušovec Kerry Melville Reid Wendy Turnbull 6–4, 8–9(8), 3–6Win 6. Jul 1978 Austrian Open Clay Renáta Tomanová Regina Maršíková Florența Mihai 7–5, 6–2Loss 6. Oct 1978 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Germany Carpet (i) Mima Jaušovec Tracy Austin Betty Stöve 3–6, 3–6Win 7. Jan 1979 VS Washington, U.S. Carpet (i) Mima Jaušovec Renée Richards Sharon Walsh 4–6, 6–2, 6–4Loss 7. Jul 1979 Austrian Open Clay Elly Appel-Vessies Helena Anliot Dianne Evers 0–6, 4–6Win 8. Oct 1979 Tampa Open, U.S. Hard Anne Smith Ilana Kloss Betty Ann Stuart 7–5, 4–6, 7–5Win 9. Dec 1979 Adelaide, Australia Grass Hana Mandlíková Sue Barker Pam Shriver 6–1, 3–6, 6–2Loss 8. Aug 1980 U.S. Clay Courts Clay Renáta Tomanová Anne Smith Paula Smith 4–6, 6–3, 4–6Win 10. Sep 1980 VS Salt Lake City, U.S. Hard Pam Teeguarden Barbara Jordan JoAnne Russell 6–4, 7–5Win 11. Oct 1980 Stockholm Open, Sweden Carpet (i) Mima Jaušovec Hana Mandlíková Betty Stöve 6–2, 6–1Loss 9. Mar 1981 VS Boston, U.S. Carpet (i) JoAnne Russell Barbara Potter Sharon Walsh 7–6, 4–6, 3–6Loss 10. May 1981 Italian Open Clay Chris Evert Candy Reynolds Paula Smith 5–7, 1–6Win 12. Aug 1981 U.S. Clay Courts Clay JoAnne Russell Sue Barker Paula Smith 6–2, 6–2Loss 11. Apr 1982 Hilton Head Island, U.S. Clay JoAnne Russell Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver 1–6, 2–6Loss 12. May 1982 European Open Clay JoAnne Russell Candy Reynolds Paula Smith 2–6, 4–6Win 13. Jul 1982 Monte Carlo, Monaco Clay Catherine Tanvier Patricia Medrado Cláudia Monteiro 7–6, 6–2Loss 13. Aug 1982 U.S. Clay Courts Clay JoAnne Russell Ivanna Madruga Catherine Tanvier 5–7, 6–7(3)Loss 14. Dec 1982 European Open Carpet (i) JoAnne Russell Rosie Casals Candy Reynolds 3–6, 3–6Loss 15. Apr 1983 Amelia Island Championships, U.S. Clay Hana Mandlíková Rosalyn Fairbank Candy Reynolds 4–6, 2–6Win 14. May 1983 Italian Open Clay Virginia Wade Ivanna Madruga Catherine Tanvier 6–3, 2–6, 6–1Win 15. Aug 1983 U.S. Clay Courts Clay Kathy Horvath Gigi Fernández Beth Herr 4–6, 7–6(6), 6–2Loss 16. Aug 1983 LA Championships, U.S. Hard Betsy Nagelsen Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver 1–6, 0–6Loss 17. Oct 1983 Porsche Grand Prix, Germany Carpet (i) Catherine Tanvier Martina Navratilova Candy Reynolds 2–6, 1–6Loss 18. May 1984 German Open Clay Kathy Horvath Anne Hobbs Candy Reynolds 3–6, 6–4, 6–7(11)Loss 19. May 1984 Italian Open Clay Kathy Horvath Iva Budařová Helena Suková 6–7(5), 6–1, 4–6Win 16. Jul 1985 Austrian Open Clay Mima Jaušovec Andrea Holíková Kateřina Skronská 6–2, 6–3

Other finals Singles (8–4) ResultNo.DateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScoreLoss 1. 1 October 1972 Cluj, Romania Clay Judith Gohn 2–6, 4–6Win 2. 12 May 1974 Stuttgart, West Germany Clay Alena Palmeová-West 3–6, 6–4, 7–5Win 3. 23 September 1974 Bucharest, Romania Clay Mariana Simionescu 6–3, 6–2Win 4. 16 July 1978 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Petra Jauch-Delhees 6–2, 6–2Win 5. 6 August 1978 Brașov, Romania Clay Renáta Tomanová 6–4, 6–2Win 6. 13 July 1980 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Sylvia Hanika 6–4, 6–3Win 7. 20 July 1980 Båstad, Sweden Clay Nina Bohm 6–2, 7–5Loss 8. 2 August 1981 Orange, New Jersey, U.S. Clay Kathleen Horvath 0–6, 4–6Loss 9. 18 April 1982 Nassau, Bahamas Hard Bettina Bunge 0–6, 6–7Loss 10. 11 July 1982 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Claudia Kohde-Kilsch 5–7, 6–1, 6–7Win 11. 1 August 1982 Orange, New Jersey, U.S. Clay Leigh-Anne Thompson 5–7, 6–2, 6–2Win 12. 17 July 1983 Båstad, Sweden Hard Carin Anderholm 6–2, 6–3

Doubles (5–0) ResultNo.DateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreWin 1. 1 October 1972 Cluj, Romania Clay Mariana Simionescu Felicia Bucur Judith Gohn 4–6, 7–5, 6–4Win 2. 23 September 1974 Bucharest, Romania Clay Mariana Simionescu Florența Mihai Simona Nunweiler 6–2, 6–2Win 3. 17 October 1976 Madrid, Spain Clay Florența Mihai Regina Maršíková Renáta Tomanová 6–4, 5–7, 6–2Win 4. 11 July 1982 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Catherine Tanvier Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Heidi Eisterlehner 3–6, 6–3, 6–4Win 5. 19 January 1987 Bayonne, France Hard Catherine Tanvier Iwona Kuczyńska Corinne Vanier 6–3, 6–2

Grand Slam singles performance

Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.