Gisela Dulko moves into semi-finals of the Monterrey Open 2011
Gisela Dulko breezed past Russian Ksenia Pervak 6-1, 6-0 to book her semi-final berth at the US $220,000 Whirlpool Abierto Monterrey Open 2011 tennis tournament being held in Monterrey, Mexico.
Dulko looked in majestic touch in the quarterfinal as her winning streak at the Tour continues. The world number 56 dominated the match right from the first game as her opponent surrendered to her high quality tennis display. The Argentine dropped only a
game to secure a thumping victory in a match that lasted for only 1 hour and 15 minutes.
The Argentine was unstoppable as she converted 78 per cent of her first serve points. She was brilliant on her return as well, winning 34 of 51 points. In addition to her phenomenal attacking ability, she had a rock solid defence which earned her points
at crucial moments. The world number one doubles player saved six break points to keep her firm control over the contest.
The 26-year-old Dulko, who has won four Women’s Tennis Association titles in her career, came to the tournament as one of the favourites. She bagged her first title of the season at the Mexican Open where she defeated Spaniard Arantxa Parra Santonja in straight
sets. Considering her inspiring run and her commanding form at the Tour, Dulko is certainly expected to pose serious threats to the likes of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Jelena Jankovic in the concluding stages of the WTA tournament.
On the other hand, Pervak had a terrible time on the court. Her patience and temperament was tested in every way during the match. She played from the baseline throughout and her opponent took complete advantage of her negative strategy by placing several
forehands wide of her.
The Russian had a tough time in the early stages of the tournament as well. She came back from a set deficit to bag a win in her previous match against Lucie Hradecka.
The unseeded Russian produced a whopping 12 double faults and the story did not change much in a crucial quarterfinal encounter as she again struggled with her serve. Pervak managed to convert only 1 of 7 break points she was presented with which played
a huge role in deciding the outcome of the match.
Dulko’s recent domination in the singles arena including her Acapulco title win has certainly resulted in a confidence boost but she needs to carry this winning momentum into the semi-final if she wants to stand a chance against the in-form Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
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