We take a look at the WTA Abierto Mexicano TELCEL prentado per HSBC Semi-Finals.
Stefanie Vogele | Rebecca Peterson (No betting as of yet)
With Malek Jaziri performing miracles in Dubai, it seems fitting that there is a fairy-tale story here too. Stefanie Vogele had a highest world ranking of 43 way back in 2013, so it came as quite a surprise when she overcame eighth seed Tatjana Maria before accounting for US Open Champion Sloane Stephens in the quarterfinal stage. The journeywoman Swiss player has seven ITF Titles to her name and little form to speak of going into this event. She lost in qualifying in Melbourne before ignominious showings in a recent ITF event and the Oracle Challenger Series. It is heartening for professionals plugging away in the lower tiers of woman’s tennis that performances like this are possible.
Rounding out this star-studded line-up is the winner of 10 ITF Titles: Swede Rebecca Peterson. A winner of a double’s title on the WTA Tour, Peterson also failed to qualify for the main draw in Melbourne. She reached the quarterfinal of an ITF event in America recently, but has really come to life here, with an emphatic opening round victory over sixth seed Alize Cornet. She also overcame fourth seed Zhang in a surprisingly one-sided quarterfinal, avenging a defeat from a WTA 125K event in January.
And after an exhaustive search through all the myriad tour options, it doesn’t appear as if these two have met yet. My knee jerk reaction to meeting of two fairly unestablished players is to opt with experience. Vogele just knocked out a Grand Slam champion and will know that this could be a defining moment in her career.
Daria Gavrilova 27/20 | Lesia Tsurenko 11/20
This match seems to make complete sense, with naturalized Australian Daria Gavrilova coming up against defending champion Lesia Tsurenko. The Ukrainian has enjoyed a fairly negligible season thus far, still waiting to find real consistency. But she has been absolutely vicious in an event that clearly suits her huge hitting baselining game. She is yet to drop a set thus far, dismantling of Lauren Davies and Rodionova with only nine games dropped in total. She then brushed aside the unpredictable Mladenovic 6-2, 6-2. She had ignominious showings in both Dubai and Qatar following a Round of 64 defeat to Radwankska in Melbourne. Her semi-final appearance in Hobart has been the only bright light thus far for Tsurenko, but this event clearly precipitates her best tennis.
Gavrilova has been thrust into the spotlight by compatriot Nick Kyrgios of late, with the tempestuous Kyrgios calling into question the punishment giving to Gavrilova for a fairly obscene tantrum she threw. Gavrilova overcame Zarazoa and Brengle in the early stages, before a spirited Veronica Ceped Royg pushed her to breaking point in a tense quarterfinal. Losing to Else Mertens in Melbourne, Gavrilova has just recently returned from injury and has shown some signs of rustiness in her progression thus far. Prior to Melbourne she did well at Sydney, eventually bowing out to Barty in the semis after beating Sam Stosur and Muguruza- walkout- en route.
But she has a dreadful head-to-head record against the former champion. Tsurenko leads the series 4-0, with her last triumph coming in a cosy straight sets victory in the Fed Cup last year. Tsurenko has been devastating thus far and should have too much firepower for the combustible Gavrilova. 11/20 may not seem too flash, but probably is about right for this one.
