Dulgheru/ Gajdosova upset Dulko/ Pennetta in the quarterfinal of Internazionali BNL d’Italia doubles
Romanian Australian pair of Alexandra Dulgheru and Jarmila Gajdosova upset Argentine Italian pair of Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta in straights sets 7-6(8), 6-4 in the quarterfinal of Internazionali BNL d’Italia at the Foro
Italico, Rome in Italy on Friday. The Romanian Australian pair needed only one hour and thirty two minutes to expel their opponents from the tournament.
The first set of the match was on fire as both teams held their serve in the twelve games, forcing a tie-break. The Argentine/ Italian lost eight points and allowed their opponents to dominate the tie-break 10-8.
The Romanian Australian pair delivered a single ace and committed one double fault in the opener. The first seeded team kept their first serve percentage at 75 percent and won 63 percent of points on them. Dulgheru and Gajdosova
didn’t fire any ace but managed to convert 54 percent on their 80 percent first serves. Dulko and Pennetta couldn’t save any of the breakpoint opportunity they faced, however, the first seeded team succeeded in securing two of the four breakpoints they faced.
The Romanian Australian pair entered the second set and maintained the pressure on their opponent’s right from the beginning. The second set of the match was less comparative as their opponents looked totally ruffled. At times
it looked as if the first seeded pair didn’t have enough practice before entering the match. Dulko and Flavia had no luck as they had Dulgheru and Gajdosova standing on the other side of the net. Successfully converting two of two break point opportunities
to their advantage, the unseeded team was able to secure a comfortable 6-4 win for themselves.
Although the newly formed pair of Dulgheru and Gajdosova may count this as a major success, one may think that Dulko and Pennetta may have handed over the match. The top ranked women’s doubles pair has for long now sought the form
they exhibited in the start of the season when they won the prestigious doubles crown at the opening Grand Slam, the Australian Open. Following their Grand Slam victory the pair has suffered four successive quarterfinal exits. However, with this exit the pair’s
dreams of a successive title defense also come crashing down.
With their victory, Dulgheru and Gajdosova move into the semi-final of the event where they very well might be on their way to their first doubles title win.
Meeting the Romanian Australian pair in the semis will be another unseeded pair, Chinese Peng Shuai and Zheng Jie.
Another rising team in the mix, the Chinese upset the fourth seeded tandem of Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond earlier in the event to secure a spot for themselves in the final eight. The Chinese continued their ascent in the event
as they did away with another seeded pair of Maria Jose Sanchez and Anabel Medina Garrigues in the quarterfinals.
Racing to a straight sets victory, the Chinese pair took only ninety minutes to secure a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the Spaniard pair.
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