Interview with Veronica Popovici

[30 June 2009]

Back home for a series of futures tournaments after a training period in Cipru during the winter, Veronica Popovici tells us about the life, tennis phenomen and many others things met other there.

Olimpia Tennis: Veronica, after the National Team Championships from last october you decided to go to Cyprus. What were the reasons?
Veronica: One of the reasons was that my coach found a job as a tennis coach in one of the clubs other there. Another reason, the fact the strongest one was that in Cipru it's a good climate throughout the all year and it's very good for tennis because I can train without any problems outdoor which back home aren't possible. As everyone knows in Romania it's very expensive to train during the winter and in the same time it's very hard to find a place, so taking this one's into account I felt this is an opportunity and I decided to go.

Olimpia Tennis: It's an advantage that it's possible to play outdoor while back home it's playing indoor?
Veronica:  One of the reasons of leaving home was that I knew the difficult conditions with the halls in Botosani during the winter. I consider that I was very lucky going to Cyprus during the winter, the weather is very good; in december for example I could practice in t-shirt which is very good.

Olimpia Tennis: It was easy was to adapt?  How were the first weeks?
Veronica: It wasn't too hard to adapt at the new conditions because my coach and the boy I practiced with were there for at least one month. They introduced me to all the people which behaved very well with me making many relatives and few friends. The owner of the club let me practice as long as I needed and I wanted. At the beginning I was a little bit disconcerted because other there the traffic it's opposite like back home, on the left side, so I had to look five times I cross the street to be sure I'll be alright.

Olimpia Tennis: What can you tell us about their way of life? It's something which impressed you? Or disappointed you?
Veronica: When I arrived there I was a little bit disappointed because of what I saw, I mean I expected to be something else. I think it's nothing to see in Cyprus besides the cities across the seaside. Nicosia, the capital, didn't impress me too much; I think there is a common town without special things. Because of the heat there isn't water and during the summer there are a lot of problems, everything is dry and all other the places you can see only stones. Of course when you go to the seaside the landscape changes a lot, but for me didn't matter because I was there only during the winter. I liked the food and I can say that they have a lot of good candies. One aspect of their life, the children life, amazed me because the parents with a very solid financial condition send their sons and daughter to tennis and at least 2- 3 activities, no discussing about the after school meditations.

Olimpia Tennis: You've made few plans before departure, did you manage to accomplish them?
Veronica: I went there in order to improve few aspects of my game and I think I realized what I proposed myself.

Olimpia Tennis: what can you tell about the Cyprus tennis?
Veronica: All the tennis from Cyprus is spinning round about Marcos Baghdadis. When he reached the Top 10 all the people from Cyprus started to play tennis. People are watching his matches all the time. I was there during the Australian Open and when Marcos played everyone got crazy, they locked in their offices and they watched on the net. Most of the juniors which are traveling to Europe for tournaments are boys, unfortunately they are just few, probably because their intense activities from back home which I think occurs their time. Anyway they are coming to tennis for fun.

Good luck Veronica further on!

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