"Nothing's far," observed Marie of Romania, "when one wants to get there." Although we are a century removed from the reign of Marie, the last Queen of Romania, her musings might lend insight into the mindset of modern rulers. The Romanian monarchs of table tennis, for instance, gathered this weekend in the city of Buzau for "Romstal," the National Individual Senior Championship. Defending champions Ovidiu Ionescu and Bernadette Szocs (pictured, in mixed doubles action) entered the fray with targets on their backs. Bernadette Szocs, 25, tops the Romanian women's rankings, clocking in at #26 in the world. Ovidiu Ionescu, 31, is Romania's top male player at world #60. Like true champions, they performed best under pressure. Bernadette Szocs successfully defended her national women's singles championship, overcoming Romanian #2 Eliza Samara 4-2 in the final. The veteran Ovidiu Ionescu followed suit, staving off the nation's second-ranked player, up-and-coming 20-year-old Cristian Pletea. Like Szocs, Ionescu also won the title by a score of 4-2. The singles champions inflicted further damage as a dynamic duo, pairing for the mixed doubles crown. Ionescu also paired with Cristian Chirița to best the field in men's doubles. With the win, Ionescu won every gold medal for which he was eligible. It was almost a clean sweep for Szocs, who along with Andreea Dragoman settled for second in women's doubles. The team of Irina Ciobanu and Adina Diaconu triumphed as the top tandem. For Bernadette Szocs and Ovidiu Ionescu, the maintenance of their reigns fell well within the intersecting ambits of their desire and ability. For the many aspirants to their titles, however, dethroning them proved a bridge too far.

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