Simona Halep and Ilie Nastase engaged in a war of words regarding their home country of Romania on Thursday. Halep gave as good as she got.
Tennis.com reported that the 68-year-old Nastase, the former No. 1 player in the world, criticized the 23-year-old and currently third-ranked Halep for skipping Romania's Fed Cup match next week with Canada in Montreal.
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Halep who is scheduled to play a tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, in two weeks, said her scheduled is stretched too thin for her to try to play both events. That she chose Stuttgart over the Fed Cup is baffling to Nastase.
"Ask Halep why she doesn't want to play for Romania. Why she goes to Stuttgart and not play at the Fed Cup," Nastase told Romanian reporters. "I went to the Davis Cup for my country, and she goes to Stuttgart...I find it reprehensible that she says she's tired, but she goes to Stuttgart. I would ask a question-what is important, the Fed Cup or Stuttgart? ... You only play once or twice a year on the national team. Maybe she does not like team spirit. You do not get No. 1 if you play in Stuttgart. You reach No. 1 if you think about the Grand Slams."
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Halep, who has a career 12-6 record in Fed Cup matches, did not allow herself to be intimidated by Nastase's comments.
"When I can, I always play in Fed Cup, to perform well. Last year I played in Fed Cup injured, taking a risk," she said in a statement, as reported by tennis.com. "I have always been available. This year, the calendar of tournaments made it impossible for me to participate in Fed Cup. If the tie were to be played somewhere close to Stuttgart, I would have played with my team with great pleasure. But after a long time spent in North America, to come back to Romania, leave for Canada and travel once again to be back to Germany, I would have been way too tired. Everyone is allowed to express their opinions, that is for sure, but I repeat myself-I play for Romania every day, not just when I compete in Fed Cup. I really hope the girls are going to manage to win even without me. I keep my fingers crossed for them."
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