Irina Spîrlea

Irina Spîrlea was a Romanian tennis player who played professionally from 1990 to 2000. Spîrlea achieved a career-best singles ranking of #7 in the world in October 1997, and a doubles ranking of #16 in the world in October 1995. She played on Romania’s Fed Cup team from 1991 to 1994.

From August 1990 to November 1992 Spîrlea won five doubles titles on the ITF Circuit with three of the titles coming with partner Ruxandra Dragomir. Spîrlea also won three ITF singles titles from June 1991 to June 1993. Her first WTA doubles title came in April 1994 at the Taranto Trophy in Italy with Noëlle van Lottum as her partner. Spîrlea won five more WTA doubles titles, winning three with Caroline Vis, and one each with Claudia Porwik and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. From July 1994 to May 1988 Spîrlea won four WTA singles titles with victories against Brenda Schultz-McCarthy, Sabine Hack, Mary Pierce, and Julie Halard-Decugis.

Spîrlea competed in the singles and doubles at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics but lost in the first round in both events. Her best Grand Slam singles performances all came in 1997 when she reached the fourth round at the French Open and Wimbledon, the quarter-finals at the Australian Open, and the semi-finals at the US Open.