(New York) The Spaniard Paula Badosa (29e world) qualified for her first quarter-final at the US Open by beating China’s Yafan Wang (80)e) 6-1, 6-2, Sunday in New York.
“The beginning of the match was a real battle. At one point I looked at the clock and said to myself, ‘It’s been 17 minutes and we’ve only played two games…’ It was so humid that I thought I was going to die on the court. But I knew it was worth it and I said to myself, ‘She’s tough, but I’m even tougher. And if we have to fight for three hours, I’ll do it,’” Badosa said.
“Last year I was there, but I had to withdraw [avant le début du tournoi]I was very sad. And here I am a year later and I have my best result in a Grand Slam… A few months ago, I was thinking about retiring. So, to have this great run here, it’s a dream come true,” added the 26-year-old player who suffers from recurring back pain.
She is the first Spanish player in the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows since Carla Suarez in 2018. Formerly world No. 2, she had only reached the quarter-finals once in a Grand Slam, in 2021 at Roland-Garros.
She was the first Spaniard in the last 16 in New York since Garbine Muguruza in 2021 and, if she won the quarter-finals, would be the first in the semi-finals since Conchita Martinez in 1996.
But to do so, she will have to beat the defending champion Coco Gauff (3e) or another American, Emma Navarro (12e), who face each other on Sunday.
PHOTO SETH WENIG, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Coco Gauff
After saving a match point in the third round against Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse, Badosa faced less opposition in the round of 16.
The first games were long and tight, but they all went his way and Badosa was leading 5-0 after a good half hour of play. The first two games alone lasted 17 minutes.
Wang then finally won her first shutout, but could not prevent the Spaniard from pocketing the set. Then, at 2-2 in the second set, Badosa lined up four games to win.