Number 7 might be considered lucky for some. For Gabriela Niculescu, the number represents dedication, determination, and discipline, leading to seven finishes in the final round of the women's American Platform Tennis Association (APTA) tournament, its version of March Madness. From a starting field of 64 teams, Gabi and her new partner, Ellie Halbaurer, once again rose to the finals and finished an impressive second in the Women's National Platform Tennis Championship on March 8 & 9 in Boston. Although they initially fell behind 6-1 in the first set, the pair roared back in exhilarating fashion to make it interesting and tied the next set, 6-6, eventually succumbing to the champions 7-2 in the tiebreaker. Before this tournament, Gabi won three national doubles championships in 2016, 2018, and 2019. Additionally, she's made four consecutive appearances in the finals, including this most recent year.
Gabi, the Redding Country Club's Director of Racquets, is the country's #5 ranked platform tennis player. She began her career as a professional tennis player, achieving a rank of 376 for singles and 199 for doubles. She played college tennis for the University of Southern California, winning a PAC-10 doubles championship, and was honored as an All-American doubles competitor in 2008. Following her success on the tennis court, in 2013, this athlete made her debut in platform tennis and has achieved extraordinary success in a short period of time.
Added Ron Berry, RCC Racquets Chair and Fan, "Gabi's impact on our racquets program has been fantastic! Her enthusiasm and energy on the tennis, paddle, and pickleball courts – or anywhere on the RCC campus– is infectious. Even if they never played, adults and kids alike are inspired to pick up a paddle and give the sport a whirl. Our members are fortunate to have such a terrific role model and teacher."
Gabi was born and raised in Bucharest, Romania, and resides in Norwalk with her husband and two adorable sons. "I feel blessed to be the RCC Director of Racquets, where I develop my own year-round program, and I still have plenty of opportunities to be on the court and teach. Balance is never easy to achieve, but at Redding, I am able to manage work, family, and my desire to compete in platform tennis."
Primarily played in the winter, platform tennis (also known as paddle) is a double racket sport combining tennis and squash elements on a shrunken down court. The sport has exploded in popularity and has captured the hearts of enthusiasts worldwide. APTA presides over platform tennis and organizes four grand prix regional tourneys culminating in the final contest each March.