Chengdu Preview Bernie Szocs: Team Romanias Star Ready to Shine
Written by I Dig SportsIt has been a remarkable year for Bernadette Szocs, who ascended from beyond the Top 30 to secure the 12th position in the World Ranking. Aside from clinching singles and team titles at the European Games, Szocs consistently surprised fans with notable victories, including against top-ranked players such as Chen Meng at WTT Champions Frankfurt 2023.
Ranked 9th in Mixed Doubles with Ovidiu Ionescu, Bernie stands as the driving force for Team Romania, instilling hope for a remarkable journey in the Mixed Team World Cup, provided her stellar form continues.
TEAM ROMANIA (#11 seed)
Bernadette SZOCS (World No.12)
With a sprightly and passionate playing style, Bernadette Szocs has established herself as a household name in the professional game. A great team player, Bernadette has proven a valuable asset to her countrys table tennis efforts, playing a crucial role in Team Romanias gold medal at the European Games 2023 and a silver medal at the European Championships in 2023.
Elizabeta SAMARA (World No.31)
At 34, the seasoned left-handed Elizabeta Samara has achieved a remarkable ITTF rank of 13 as of September 1, 2014, showcasing a distinguished career in table tennis. She won European titles in singles, doubles, and team events at the European Championships and has represented Romania four times at the Summer Olympics.
Adina DIACONU (World No. 49)
At 24, Adina Diaconu played a key role in securing the second place in the womens team at the European Teams Championships in 2023. She showed her skills in doubles by winning the womens doubles title in WTT Feeder Otocec 2023.
Andreea DRAGOMAN (World No. 67)
23-year-old Andreea Dragoman has shown top results in her age group every year since she won the European mini-cadet singles title. Remarkably, she won the bronze medal at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in womens singles and the womens doubles champion at the 2016 World Youth Championship.
Eduard IONESCU (World No. 65)
Born in 2004, currently ranked 16th in the World Youth rankings, Eduard Ionescus recent victory at WTT Youth Star Contender Tunis 2023 marked a significant achievement. This success follows his earlier triumph at Youth Contender Doha 2023, making it his second U19 Boys Singles win of the year. Ionescus back-to-back victories highlight his prowess and add to his growing list of accolades in the world of table tennis.
Ovidiu IONESCU (World No. 111)
At 34, Ovidiu Ionescu boasts a notable history. He represented Romania in the 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2019, he clinched the silver medal at the ITTF World Championships in Budapest in the doubles event. Ionescu boasts a remarkable tally of 20 Romanian championship titles, including eight in singles, seven in doubles, and five in mixed doubles. His consistent success solidifies his status in team events.
Andrei ISTRATE (World No. 141)
At 19, the young Andrei Istrate stunned fans by entering the semifinals back-to-back in WTT Youth Star Contender Doha and WTT Feeder Doha 2023, showcasing a promising trajectory in the world of table tennis.
Darius MOVILEANU (World No. 159)
Born in 2005, the U15 world champion Darius Movileanu boasts talent as he claimed six European Championships titles in U15 & U19 Events. Additionally, Movileanu clinched the U17 boys singles title in WTT Youth Contender Havirov 2022.