6–3, 6–4. In the quarterfinals Dulgheru faced Sharapova, and they played a marathon match. Dulgheru won the first set 6–3. Then Sharapova won the second set, 8–6 in the tiebreak. In the third set, at 5–4 Dulgheru served for the match, but Sharapova got a break and then won the match in the third set tiebreak 7–5. After this, Dulgheru was ranked No. 26, her best ranking so far. At the US Open, Dulgheru upset recent Wimbledon champion and fifth seed Petra Kvitová, 7–6, 6–3 in the first round before losing in the second round to compatriot Monica Niculescu, 3–6, 0–6. 2012: Injury and fall out of top 200 Ranked No. 65 at the beginning of the year, Dulgheru won her only (ITF) title of the year in Cali, defending Mandy Minella in three sets. After consecutively losing openers in Bogotá, in Monterrey and in Acapulco, she played in the first round at Indian Wells with Irina Falconi, but after winning the first set 6–4, she retired in the second set (at 2–5) with a knee injury. She came back on courts after eight months in November in a couple of ITF tournaments, yet with poor results. By the end of the year she was ranked No. 233. 2013: Slowly climbing back After making semifinals and then becoming winner in two ITF tournaments in Antalya, Alexandra returned to the WTA Tour with a protected ranking in Indian Wells, and defeated 6–4, 6–4 qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito, before losing in the second round, 0–6, 6–4, 3–6 to 32nd seeded Peng Shuai. Next week, in Miami, she lost her opener to Anabel Medina Garrigues. She received a wildcard for the qualifying tournament in Madrid, and she did qualify, but lost 5–7, 2–6 to eventual finalist Maria Sharapova in the first round. Still as a qualifier at the Palermo Ladies Open, she had to retire in the first round at 1–5 in the first set with Lourdes Domínguez Lino due to right toe injury. In Båstad, she started better, defeating Caroline Garcia in two sets, but she then lost to Virginie Razzano 6–3, 0–6, 4–6 in the second round. In Toronto, she had to play the qualifying matches again, and she qualified for the first round, where she lost to Magdaléna Rybáriková in straight sets. In Cincinnati, she did not manage to qualify for the main draw, losing again to Sofia Arvidsson