Gisela Dulko

Lovely Gisela Dulko has knocked Maria Sharapova out of Wimbledon 2009. Sharapova isn't the only screaming female on court but she embodies the new wave of competitors who spoil the restful sound of the English midsummer. Ms Dulko is an unseeded Argentinian tennis player who many Wimbledon TV watchers perhaps won't have heard of until today.

Having removed Screaming Maria, her important work is done, but one hopes she goes on to perform equally well in the rest of her matches. Giant killers often disappoint soon after. Gisela Dulko is a very pretty young woman, great to watch on a tennis court, and clearly has much talent, although she's been more successful playing doubles than singles. She is 24.

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Sexy tennis

There is a loveliness in Maria Sharapova – or so people say. I find it hard to detect amidst the high-pitched (and now highly publicised) grunts she emits each time she hits the ball. Screams is a much better word, because they're more like the sound she might make if she was being whipped by someone. If she's a truly great player, she'll be able to unlearn the grunting method of tennis and bring back to Wimbledon the traditional elegance of the women's game. Over many decades I've found it much more enjoyable than the men's. Better to follow, with a graceful flow to the rallies, and this annual enjoyment is regardless of whether the ladies are beautiful or not.

I'd prefer to see nice figures playing tennis though, and Gisela Dulko certainly has one. So do Elena Dementieva and Jelena Jankovic (as did, in their day, Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova). Even if a match isn't particularly exciting, green grass, summer sunshine, lightly-bronzed women running about in short white skirts, and the gentle rhythm of the plopping ball and appreciative applause is always an attractive combination to enjoy.

Posted Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 at 15:54. Comments welcome.