Sports Roundup

CSM Bucharest and Rapid Bucharest, the two Romanian women's handball teams competing in the Champions League's group stage have had a win-all record so far, after three rounds. In a Group B away fixture this past Sunday, Romanian title holders Rapid had no problem defeating Turkish opponents Kastamonu. Spanish head-coach Carlos Viver's trainees had a lackluster start, and Kastamonu even had 8-4 lead during the game. Yet Rapid braced up and secured a 15-12 advantage at half time. In the second half, Kastamonu were quick to lose stamina and eventually, Rapid were seven goals up from their opponents. Rapid's top scorer was Eliza Buceschi, with seven goals scored. With 5 points each, French team Metz and Rapid are the leaders in Group B.

In the Champions League's Group A, CSM Bucharest had a hard time avoiding a defeat in the home game they played against Germany's Bietigheim, succeeding a 28-all final score this past Sunday in Bucharest. With a win-all record for quite some time, Bietigheim had the upper hand during the first half of the game, securing a 16-13 advantage at half time. However, CSM succeeded to level the score in the second half, yet they wasted several other opportunities to score and secure a win. Towards the end of the match, Bietigheim again secured their advantage on the pitch; however, CSM's Norwegian player Malin Aune levelled the score five second before the end of the game, when the Germans wasted the opportunity to maintain their advantage, several times. In Group A, Bietigheim and CSM are 2nd and 3rd-placed, respectively, with 5 points each. Norway's Vipers Kristiansand are the leaders in group A, with 6 points in six games.

In the ice hockey Erste Liga, this past Sunday, ACSH Gheorgheni succeeded their third consecutive win, 4-2, against Dunaujvarosi Acelbikak. Corona Braşov also won against Ferencvaros Budapest, 3-1. In their third fixture, defending champions Sport Club Miercurea Ciuc, sustained their third recent defeat, 3-4 against Ujpest Budapest, away from home.

This past Sunday, Bosnian tennis player Nerman Fatic has won the Sibiu Open challenger tournament, an event with 45, 730 Euros in prize money. In the final, Fatic defeated another Bosnian, 6th-sseeded Damir Dzumhur, 6-3, 6-4. 258thplaced according to the ATP rankings, Fatic, defeated his much more experienced opponent, currently 192nd-placed according ot the ATP rankings, after one hour and 34 minutes of play. We recall Dzumhur was the world's 23rd-player in 2018. Fatic received a check worth 6,190 Euros and was granted 80 ATP points. In turn, finalist Dzumhur received a check worth 3,650 Euros and was granted 50 ATOP points.

In the men's doubles final, the all-Serbian 2-nd seeded pair, made of brothers Ivan and Matej Sabanov, defeated the tournament's 2021 champions, top-seeded all-Austrian pair made of Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler, 3-6, 7-5, 10-4. (EN)