The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rising To The Challenge
10/22/2002 | Women's Tennis
Oct. 22, 2002
By Bill Bunting, Sports Information Intern
The old adage that hard work pays off is one that many might consider overused and trite in the world of athletics. But, every now and then, you find an athlete for whom the saying holds more truth than not.
Mira Radu is one of those cases.
A senior on the women's tennis team at Ole Miss, Radu is truly an example of hard work paying dividends. The Romanian came to Ole Miss in the fall of 1999, a year after the team claimed the Southeastern Conference Tournament title with an upset of Florida. It was the beginning of a dream come true for Radu.
"I was a player that wasn't really recruited strongly by a lot of American universities, but playing in America was something that I had dreamed of doing all my life," Radu said. "(Former women's head) Coach (Jerry) Montgomery saw me play and believed in me and gave me the opportunity to come play at Ole Miss. I will always be grateful for that belief in my ability because it gave me the confidence to come over here and play."
Radu started out playing solid tennis for the Lady Rebels in 1999. Hailed as one of the top freshmen in the country, she finished the season ranked No. 37, and the potential for her sophomore season looked tremendous. Her sophomore season, though, was not the one she had envisioned as injuries hindered her play.
Radu finished her sophomore year with a 16-13 overall record, a far cry from what she had expected to do. The challenge pushed her to work harder and take her game to higher levels she knew she could achieve, and her determination paid off. The results of her hard work would prove to be the greatest memory of her collegiate career to date.
Radu began her junior season by participating in the pre-qualifying rounds of the All-American Tournament, one of the four grand slam tournaments of collegiate tennis. Prior to that 2001 fall tournament, she was ranked No. 100 in the nation, but it wouldn't be that way for long.
The junior stormed through the pre-qualifying rounds, advancing to the qualifying stage of the tournament, where she again took care of business. Radu went through the qualifying rounds with ease and found herself in the main draw of the tournament. Once in the main draw, Radu played her way into the semifinal round, where she lost to the top-ranked player in the nation. She was rewarded with a ranking of No. 25 in the country after her tremendous fall performance.
"I will never forget that tournament," Radu said. "That has to have been the greatest feeling I ever had, knowing I started on the outside in pre-qualifying and won nine-straight matches against the country's top players to get to the semifinals."
Lady Rebel head coach Mark Beyers said, "It was amazing. Here is a player, who because of injuries and other setbacks, finished the year at the fourth position on the team the year before (2000-01), and the next year she tears through a tournament and ends the season ranked 20th in the nation. It's such an inspirational story for the team because it shows what you can do with hard work."
Radu's solid play continued into the spring, finishing the 2001-02 year as the 20th-ranked player in the nation. As a result of her top-20 finish, she earned All-America honors for the first time in her career. Radu, who posted a 33-16 overall record in 2001-02, also received All-SEC honors and was named to the Verizon District VI Academic All-America second team.
Radu's work ethic has served as an inspiration for the Lady Rebels, and Beyers said that is the biggest strength she brings to the table.
"She pretty much means everything to this team," said Beyers, who took over the Lady Rebel tennis program after Montgomery resigned in the fall of 2001. "I wish we could find more years for her to play because she has been tremendous for Ole Miss on the court and in the classroom. She's a hard worker and willing to listen and work. She just sets an unbelievable example for our team, and when your top player does that, it makes everyone better."
Both Beyers and Radu hope that her senior season can be as productive as her junior one. If hard work and dedication have anything to do with it, then Radu is well on her way to another successful year.
