Chairman of the Romanian Tennis Federation (FRT) George Cosac on Friday told a news conference for the start of the Tiriac Foundation Women's Cup tournament that FRT organises annually over 75 international competitions, which isa record for all Romanian sports.

'The Romanian Tennis Federation organises over 75 international competitions. It's a record for us, I think it's a record for all Romanian sports. All other sports federations combined do not organise such big a number of international competitions for their athletes. This week there is a competition in Slobozia, a competition where there of the four semi-finalists are from Romania. So here they find their purpose and even touch the sensitive point, the point that interests us as a federation,' said Cosac.

He added that the young generation of players is a good one, after having had role models such as Simona Halep and Sorana Cirstea.

'I think it's a very good generation. The fact that they had examples and models such as Simona, Sorana, Irina (Begu), Monica (Niculescu), meant a lot. And, of course, related to these examples was the fact that we, as a federation, managed to make a competition calendar, so that they can evolve as much as possible and be able to achieve high performances. This year, the 16-year-old girls are European team champions. Last year was the best year in the history of the Romanian Tennis Federation, in terms of performances at junior level, with European champions for boys, at 18 years old, at 16, girls, U-16 world vice-champions, boys, U16 world vice-champions as well. But I think that today it is time for these young ladies to break the ice. I wish from the bottom of my heart for them to break the ice. And for the gap between those who are in the world's top hundred and them to be as small as possible, so that tomorrow's exchange at the Billie Jean King Cup can be done on the go.'

Legendary Romanian tennis Ilie Nastase said that the tournaments organised in Romania are very important to Romanian players, including the W75 Bucharest ITF Women's World Tennis Tour.

'The most important thing is that they play in Romania and they play tennis. These girls no longer have to take the plane, the car, the train to go and earn their points. The more tournaments there are, the better it will be for them,' said Nastase.

Player Mara Gae said that it is a good opportunity for young players to participate in such tournaments at home: 'It is incredible for us, as young athletes to have tournaments like this, they are quite big for us, and we have the possibility to play them all the time. Especially since it's at home, it's incredible and the federation helps us all the time with what it can.'

September 8-14, the Romanian Tennis Federation organises, at the Simona Halep National Tennis Centre, in Bucharest, the W75 Bucharest international women's tennis tournament part of the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour competition calendar. The winner of the W75 tournament in Bucharest will receive 75 WTA singles points, and the prize money is USD 60,000.

Among the Romanian tennis players who have announced their intention to participate are Patricia Tig, Ilinca Amariei and Georgia Craciun. The organisers also announced the four wild cards handed to Mara Gae, Elena Bertea, Eva Ionescu and Federica Oana. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Adrian Tone; EN - writing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)