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iPatty · May 19th, 2009, 10:42 PM

Alex

Just keep going up and up.

iPatty · May 20th, 2009, 11:26 AM

(Q)Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU) d. (5)Sara Errani (ITA) 64 63

Ballbasher · May 20th, 2009, 11:46 AM

Wow Alex!

Sherbi · May 20th, 2009, 12:52 PM

Alexandra, you are on

!! I am impressed to see her hold on and continue to perform! Well done!

Ballbasher · May 20th, 2009, 01:25 PM

She will rise around #160 with this win.

Her next opponent is Kazakh Voskoboeva

Good Luck Alex!

solger · May 21st, 2009, 08:09 AM

By my calculations, she's going to break directly into the Top 150 from No. 201. Currently she is on 283 points; two will drop off this week, leaving her 281; then she will gain 20 for winning through qualifying and a further 120 for reaching the main draw QF, so her total tally should leap up to 421, which this week would place her at World No. 148. If she were to defeat Galina Voskoboeva too, another 80 ranking points would promote her to about No. 133.

Dorien. · May 21st, 2009, 09:33 AM

Alex

She really keeps going

Andiyan · May 21st, 2009, 10:44 AM

What a win. Soon another Romanian in top 100? She just won first set against Voskoboeva 6-1

**Meelis** · May 21st, 2009, 11:44 AM

6-1 7-5

SF at WTA premier event

Andiyan · May 21st, 2009, 11:45 AM

Amazing.

Great mental when Voskoboeva served for the set at 5-4.

What a week. WHAT a week.

Ballbasher · May 21st, 2009, 11:51 AM

Alex. Stunning.

I really thought she will struggle after being broken at 4-4 having lost 40-15, but NO WAY she just fights back!

Awesome decision to try to play a higher WTA tournament!

She really took her opportunity on a weak premier!

Her reward is to be on ES tomorrow and I will have the chance to see a complete match of her!

I just hope she enjoys herself out there and isn't too nervous!

But just think about it just one(!) month ago she was #325 and now she technically has the chance to make a WTA F in a big tournament!

Dorien. · May 21st, 2009, 12:12 PM

Alex

Sooo great

iPatty · May 21st, 2009, 07:31 PM

What an effort! This could be one of the fastest rises to the Top100 in years, given that she keeps this up and eventually gets there. Being able to fight through matches in qualies against players like Korzeniak is one thing, but to recover and win a tight second set after a qualify opponent like Voskoboeva served for it sings praises to her mental abilities. I am very excited to see how she will do against Hantuchova tomorrow.

solger · May 21st, 2009, 08:23 PM

By defeating Galina today she increased her current ranking points from 283 this week to 501 next and is set to leapfrog the entire 151-200 ranking area and land around World No. 133. If she were to beat Daniela next, her ranking points would more than double in a single week from 283 to 621, and her ranking would jump from No. 201 to about No. 106 in the same period of time.

In view of the long, drawn-out struggle that most players endure to work their ways up from 200 towards 100 (and many never make it that far), she should be the envy of many a player after this tournament. I seem to remember Magdalena Rybarikova enjoying a fast rise from outside the Top 200 into the Top 100 last summer, but it now seems a fair bet that Alexandra will be even quicker, even if victory against Daniela is asking too much from her at this stage in her WTA career.

Does anyone know if Alexandra has ever even qualified for a WTA tour main draw before, at any level? If not, then reaching a semifinal at first attempt is quite remarkable, and all the more so at Premier level.

She lost a couple of tight matches recently (to Yanina Wickmayer and Michelle Larcher de Brito I believe), so it would not be reasonable to expect too much of her at the elite level just yet, but if she can work her way into the Top 100 over the rest of the summer season, hold her own against players in the 51-100 ranking area, and gather some good experience on the WTA Tour, I think she'll be in an increasingly strong position to improve further next year and beyond.

Sherbi · May 21st, 2009, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by solger

By defeating Galina today she increased her current ranking points from 283 this week to 501 next and is set to leapfrog the entire 151-200 ranking area and land around World No. 133. If she were to beat Daniela next, her ranking points would more than double in a single week from 283 to 621, and her ranking would jump from No. 201 to about No. 106 in the same period of time.

In view of the long, drawn-out struggle that most players endure to work their ways up from 200 towards 100 (and many never make it that far), she should be the envy of many a player after this tournament. I seem to remember Magdalena Rybarikova enjoying a fast rise from outside the Top 200 into the Top 100 last summer, but it now seems a fair bet that Alexandra will be even quicker, even if victory against Daniela is asking too much from her at this stage in her WTA career.

Does anyone know if Alexandra has ever even qualified for a WTA tour main draw before, at any level? If not, then reaching a semifinal at first attempt is quite remarkable, and all the more so at Premier level.

She lost a couple of tight matches recently (to Yanina Wickmayer and Michelle Larcher de Brito I believe), so it would not be reasonable to expect too much of her at the elite level just yet, but if she can work her way into the Top 100 over the rest of the summer season, hold her own against players in the 51-100 ranking area, and gather some good experience on the WTA Tour, I think she'll be in an increasingly strong position to improve further next year and beyond.

She never qualified for a WTA main draw: 3 attempts in qualifying: Portoroz in sept 2007 (out 1st round), Vina del Mar Feb 2008 (out 1st round) and Estoril a few weeks ago (out 2nd round). What an impressive serie of wins. Totally agree, Hantuchova should be too difficult as of yet. She should get some rest and try to qualify in further clay WTA tournaments in Europe in July and then go to the US for the hard season. Good luck Alexandra!