Fabiola Zuluaga from Colombia reaches semi-final

Courtesy B. Mitchell
By Etienne Stekelenburg
January 27 2004

Fabiola Zuluaga is the first Colombian tennis player who reached a semi-final in a Grand Slam Tournament. She is up against Belgian No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne after Amelie Mauresmo of France had to withdraw from their match due to a back injury.

The 25 years-old Colombian player from Bogota defeated Shinobu Asagoe of Japan in the first round in two sets 6-3 6-2.

Mariana Diaz-Olivia was beaten in the second round. The Argentinean lost in two sets 6-3 6-4.

The 32 seed Zuluaga defeated Jill Craybas in the third match. She needed to win the tie-break in the first set to defeat the American in three sets 7-6 (8) 4-6 6-2.

Zuluaga’s next opponent was also beaten in two sets. Aniko Kapros from Hungary was defeated 68 minutes 6-4 6-2.

Her mother Amelia Amalo introduced Fabiola Zuluaga with tennis at the age of 7. At the age of 15 she joined Nick Bolletieri’s Tennis Academy in Bradenton Florida.

"I feel very happy … when I'm doing good things for my country. We're not in a good mood now at home so all of these things are very good for us," Zuluaga said. "I feel good being one of those Colombians doing good things for us. It helps me go further and further."

Zuluaga’s first Australian ended in the second round in 2000. Her best results in Grand Slams came in 1999 and 2000 at Roland Garros where she reached the third round in both years, clay courts are her favourite.

She won her first professional title in 1995 at the ITF/Cali in Colombia.