Gisela Dulko vs. Aleksandra Wozniak – Monterrey Open preview
26-year-old Argentine, Gisela Dulko, will be facing the Canadian qualifier, Aleksandra Wozniak, in the second round of the Whirlpool Monterrey Open on Thursday afternoon. The contest promises to be an enthralling one as both players are in top form coming into the second round.
Dulko ousted her first round opponent, Iveta Benesova of Czech Republic, in straight sets 6-2,7-6, to make it to the round of 16. The other competitor, Wozniak, blew away her Mexican opponent, Ximena Hermoso in a straight sets victory, 6-2,6-0.
Winner of four Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) titles, Dulko came to the tournament as one of the favourites. The Argentine won the Abierto Mexicano Telcel title four days ago when she defeated Arantxa Parra Santonja of Spain in straight sets. With a WTA title victory in her pocket and superb form, it’s easy to say that Dulko is one of the strongest contenders in the Monterrey Open.
Dulko’s opening round match against Benesova was a brilliant display of crafty tennis. The Argentine created opportunities on her own and smartly cruised through the contest. Her first serve percentage was 63 but she clinched 40 of 62 serve points in the game. Dulko cashed in most of her chances in time but spilled some unforced errors in the process. Her last contest counted three double-faults and some costly misses in the second set. Nevertheless, the Argentine’s overall performance was exceptional.
The Canadian qualifier was simply overpowering in her first round contest when she crushed the local hopes by beating Hermoso in less than an hour. Wozniak lost just two games in the whole contest and broke the opponent’s serve five times. Her flat powerful serve was never broken in the match. Although her serve percentage left something to be desired, her points winning proficiency was quite brilliant. The Canadian bagged 30 of 42 serve points, which is a better percentage than Dulko’s.
There appears to be not much difference in the first serve of Dulko and Wozniak, but the critical distinction between the two is their proficiency to convert break points and availing opportunities. Wozniak was bestowed with 12 break opportunities but the Canadian merely converted five of them in her first round match. On the other hand, Dulko showed great skill in cashing in three out of her five serve breaks in the match against Benesova. Wozniak needs to rectify this deficiency in her game if she desires any success against the in-form Argentine.
The plus point for the Canadian is her points wining ratio. Wozniak won 61 per cent points in her recent contest while Dulko bagged 54 per cent. This could be a vital differentiation among both competitors in the second round as the Canadian can exert pressure upon Dulko by her aggressive cross-court winners.
Dulko appeared a bit over ambitious in the last game, committing three double faults in trying to crack some aces. She needs to improve her first serve accuracy to remain competitive in the game.
The contest between Dulko and Wozniak seems fairly poised but the Argentine has a slight edge over her competitor. Her WTA title victory last week will certainly boost her confidence to a higher level and she can outclass her opponent any time.
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