Bobby Backhands

  • Sorana’s Swansong February Part Two – Home From Home

    After a deserved rest, the newly crowned Transylvania Open Champion continued her Swansong Tour with the next stop at Dubai, Sorana’s permanent place of residence for the last five years and a Happy Hunting Ground! Our Champ is a former quarter finalist at the WTA 1000 tournament here. In the first round she faced a…

  • Sorana’s Swansong February Part One – Our Trip to Cluj

    Cluj Napoca was the next destination on the Cirstea farewell voyage. The home WTA 250 which Sori has played two times previously yet not yet tasted victory on the indoor purple hardcourts. I am in Cluj with a couple of friends and Postivity Penguin. For me also it is visit number three to the tournament…

  • Sorana’s Swansong – January

    January is often a favourite time of year for me in my capacity as a Tennis fan, I have been to Melbourne for the Australian Open once, way back in 2010 and it is my favourite of the Majors. Ever since, back in the UK I have often woken up in the small hours to…

  • My Romanian Summer with the Wolf – Part Two Bucharest

    Even on our journey home from Brasov we were planning our trip to Cluj in February, booking plane tickets in the pub at Victoria Coach Station whilst tucking into an all day vegetarian brunch and drinking a pint of Guinness zero. I had loved Brasov so much, I wanted to have gone to Iasi earlier…

  • My Romanian Summer with the Wolf Part One Brasov

    Why it’s easy to support Oana Simion! Whilst my love of tennis extends back to Pete Sampras and Justin Henin, then later of course Roger Federer and Simona Halep, the latter opening me up to the world of Romanian tennis stars, one player has influenced and inspired me personally more than any other, Romania’s Oana…

  • Tears and Tennis.

    THE EMOTIONS OF A FAN. When Miriam Bulgaru won her semi final yesterday I cried. Because she is my joint favourite active player and I was so happy for her. The two players who always felt all the emotions for were Roger Federer and Simona Halep. Both now retired and tennis feels empty without them.…

  • The Penguin Diaries W35 Brasov Day Six

    With the exit of all the Romanians in singles and the Doubles Final with Stefi and Briana later in the day we took the free time to Uber to Bran and visit Dracula’s Castle. The drive was pleasant and very scenic, should I return next year as I hope to do I would like to…

  • The Penguin Diaries W35 Brasov Day Five

    The trip is a starting to near an end, the beard is at a point where it is becoming itchy. Whereas the previous mornings I got up early for Oana’s practices with her defeat in singles it was a later start in doubles, I was afforded the luxury of a lie in. Not that the…

  • The Penguin Diaries W35 Brasov Day Four

    Same routine as before early walk into town, picked up some cheese pretzels for breakfast and then onto Starbucks for coffee. Met the Wolf for practice at the club ahead of her second round match which her parents had attended for. Sadly Oana’s match was poor, a couple of missed smashes at the net got…

  • The Penguin Diaries W35 Brasov Day Three

    Today was an earlier start, leaving the Guest House at 7am and walking to town as the sun rose over Brasov, a pleasant stroll with Postivity Penguin through the streets and parks. It was cooler today which was handy as having left my jumper on top of the coffee machine the past couple of days,…