Gisela Dulko flew solo for today’s singles showdown with Samantha Stosur. Dulko’s brother and coach, Alejandro, was back home in Argentina, where his wife gave birth to twins yesterday. Today, the proud aunt delivered a winning welcome-to-the-world message to her newborn nephews. Playing with purpose, Dulko dissected a sloppy Stosur in winning five of the final six games to dump the 2010 French Open finalist out in the third round, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
In a clash of former top-ranked doubles players, a sluggish Stosur looked a half-step slow to the ball and frequently flailed her favored forehand wide of the sidelines. Typically so proactive with her feet in running around her backhand to hit her heavy-topspin forehand, Stosur reached for shots with her racquet rather than taking the precise, preparatory steps that powered her past three former world No. 1 players in her run last year’s French final.
In contrast, Dulko burst out of the blocks decisively on what began as a dank, dreary day, devoid of any energy emanating from a sparse crowd. Taking the ball early, Dulko pounded a pair of return winners to break in the opening game, slammed two of her four aces in the second game and in a matter of minutes held a 4-0 lead.
Stosur finally showed some signs of life in saving three set points and eventually holding for 4-5. Salvaging the set was a different story. With one more chance to close it out, Dulko raced to a 40-0 lead as Stosur shanked a forehand return. When the eighth-seeded Aussie steered a backhand wide, Dulko had won the first in 48 minutes.
In their last meeting in Madrid a few weeks ago, Stosur surrendered the opening set then rolled through the next two to win. Seeking to reprise that script, She began to find the range on her forehand, striking her shots with more conviction and rolling through the second set in 31 minutes when Dulko clanked a forehand well wide of the doubles alley.
Removing her trademark shades and making reassuring eye contact with coach David Taylor, Stosur seemed to be back on track in the third set as she broke for a 2-1 lead and held a game point to stretch the lead to 3-1. But Dulko derailed her, breaking back for 2-2.
Stosur lacked the belief to string strong shots together and construct points with a purpose, instead trying to spread the court with her forehand. Stosur whacked a wild one wide to hand Dulko a second break point, which she took advantage of, driving a deep diagonal return. Stosur bungled a backhand up the line to drop serve and fall behind 2-4.
Serving for the match with new balls, Dulko closed convincingly at love and completed a banner day by unveiling a white sheet with the words “Para Myla y Teo. Valio la pena! Los Amo!!!”—For Myla and Teo [her new twin nephews], it was worth it, I love them.
—Richard Pagliaro