Virginia Ruzici
Virginia Ruzici is a former professional tennis player from Romania. 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 that same year. She appeared in the French Open singles final again 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 Cawley 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 is now the manager of Romanian tennis player Simona Halep.
Grand Slam finals
Singles (1 title, 1 runner–up)
Women's doubles (1 title, 1 runner–up)
Mixed doubles (2 runners-up)
WTA career finals
Singles: 27 (12–15)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
Winner | 1. | 18 August 1975 | :fr:Tournoi de tennis de South Orange|South Orange | Clay | ![]() | 6–1, 6–1 |
Runner-up | 1. | 12 July 1976 | Kitzbühel | Clay | ![]() | 4–6, 7–5, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 2. | 18 October 1976 | Barcelona | Clay | ![]() | 6–3, 4–6, 2–6 |
Winner | 2. | 26 September 1977 | Palm Harbor | Clay | ![]() | 6–4, 4–6, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 3. | 15 May 1978 | Hamburg | Clay | ![]() | 2–6, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 4. | 22 May 1978 | Rome | Clay | ![]() | 5–7, 5–7 |
Winner | 3. | 29 May 1978 | French Open | Clay | ![]() | 6–2, 6–2 |
Winner | 4. | 24 July 1978 | Kitzbühel | Clay | ![]() | 6–4, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 5. | 14 August 1978 | Toronto | Hard | ![]() | 5–7, 7–6, 2–6 |
Winner | 5. | 16 October 1978 | Brighton | Carpet | ![]() | 5–7, 6–2, 7–5 |
Runner-up | 6. | 19 February 1979 | Detroit | Carpet | ![]() | 5–7, 6–1, 6–7 |
Runner-up | 7. | 10 December 1979 | :fr:Tournoi d'Adélaïde|Adelaide | Grass | ![]() | 5–7, 2–2 ret. |
Runner-up | 8. | 5 May 1980 | Rome | Clay | ![]() | 7–5, 2–6, 2–6 |
Runner-up | 9. | 26 May 1980 | French Open | Clay | ![]() | 0–6, 3–6 |
Winner | 6. | 21 July 1980 | Kitzbühel | Clay | ![]() | 3–6, 6–1 ret. |
Runner-up | 10. | 11 August 1980 | Toronto | Hard | ![]() | 3–6, 1–6 |
Winner | 7. | 8 September 1980 | Salt Lake City | Hard | ![]() | 6–1, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 11. | 10 November 1980 | :fr:Internationaux d'Amsterdam|Amsterdam | Carpet | ![]() | 7–5, 2–6, 5–7 |
Runner-up | 12. | 4 May 1981 | Perugia | Clay | ![]() | 1–6, 2–6 |
Runner-up | 13. | 11 May 1981 | Lugano | Clay | ![]() | 1–6, 1–6 |
Runner-up | 14. | 3 August 1981 | Indianapolis | Clay | ![]() | 1–6, 0–6 |
Winner | 8. | 12 July 1982 | :fr:Tournoi de tennis de Monte-Carlo|Monte Carlo | Clay | ![]() | 6–2, 7–6 |
Winner | 9. | 19 July 1982 | Kitzbühel | Clay | ![]() | 6–2, 6–2 |
Winner | 10. | 2 August 1982 | Indianapolis | Clay | ![]() | 6–2, 6–0 |
Winner | 11. | 3 October 1983 | Detroit | Carpet | ![]() | 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 15. | 1 April 1985 | Seabrook Island | Clay | ![]() | 3–6, 3–6 |
Winner | 12. | 15 July 1985 | Bregenz | Clay | ![]() | 6–2, 6–3 |
Doubles: 35 (16–19)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
Runner-up | 1. | 11 November 1973 | :fr:Coupe de Londres|London | Carpet | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 3–6, 5–7 |
Winner | 1. | 4 November 1974 | Edinburgh | Carpet | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–4, 4–6, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 2. | 8 March 1976 | Tallahassee | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 2–6, 5–7 |
Runner-up | 3. | 23 May 1976 | Rome | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 1–6, 2–6 |
Winner | 2. | 18 October 1976 | Barcelona | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–2, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 4. | 24 January 1977 | :fr:US Indoors 1977|Minneapolis | Carpet | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 2–6, 1–6 |
Winner | 3. | 15 May 1978 | Hamburg | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–4, 5–7, 6–0 |
Winner | 4. | 22 May 1978 | Rome | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–2, 2–6, 7–6 |
Winner | 5. | 29 May 1978 | French Open | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 5–7, 6–4, 8–6 |
Runner-up | 5. | 26 June 1978 | Wimbledon | Grass | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–4, 8–9, 3–6 |
Winner | 6. | 24 July 1978 | Kitzbühel | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 7–5, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 6. | 23 October 1978 | Filderstadt | Carpet | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 3–6, 3–6 |
Winner | 7. | 1 January 1979 | Washington, D.C. | Carpet | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 4–6, 6–2, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 7. | 18 July 1979 | Kitzbühel | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 0–6, 4–6 |
Winner | 8. | 22 October 1979 | Tampa | Hard | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 7–5, 4–6, 7–5 |
Winner | 9. | 10 December 1979 | :fr:Tournoi d'Adélaïde|Adelaide | Grass | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–1, 3–6, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 8. | 4 August 1980 | Indianapolis | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 4–6, 6–3, 4–6 |
Winner | 10. | 8 September 1980 | Salt Lake City | Hard | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–4, 7–5 |
Winner | 11. | 27 October 1980 | Stockholm | Carpet | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–2, 6–1 |
Runner-up | 9. | 16 March 1981 | Boston | Carpet | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 7–6, 4–6, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 10. | 4 May 1981 | Perugia | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 5–7, 1–6 |
Winner | 12. | 3 August 1981 | Indianapolis | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–2, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 11. | 5 April 1982 | Hilton Head Island | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 1–6, 2–6 |
Runner-up | 12. | 10 May 1982 | Lugano | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 2–6, 4–6 |
Winner | 13. | 12 July 1982 | :fr:Tournoi de Monte-Carlo|Monte Carlo | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 7–6, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 13. | 2 August 1982 | Indianapolis | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 5–7, 6–7 |
Runner-up | 14. | 6 December 1982 | Richmond | Carpet | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 3–6, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 15. | 11 April 1983 | Amelia Island | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 4–6, 2–6 |
Winner | 14. | 2 May 1983 | Perugia | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–3, 2–6, 6–1 |
Winner | 15. | 1 August 1983 | Indianapolis | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 4–6, 7–6, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 16. | 8 August 1983 | Los Angeles | Hard | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 1–6, 0–6 |
Runner-up | 17. | 24 October 1983 | Filderstadt | Carpet | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 2–6, 1–6 |
Runner-up | 18. | 14 May 1984 | Berlin | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 3–6, 6–4, 6–7 |
Runner-up | 19. | 21 May 1984 | Perugia | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–7, 6–1, 4–6 |
Winner | 16. | 15 July 1985 | Bregenz | Clay | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | 6–2, 6–3 |