Aus Open: Badosa dispatches Gauff to make maiden Grand Slam semifinal 

IANS January 21, 2025 177 views

Paula Badosa just pulled off an incredible upset against Coco Gauff at the Australian Open, reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal. Her victory is even more remarkable considering she was battling a potentially career-ending back injury just a year ago. Badosa showed incredible mental strength and tactical prowess, defeating the World No. 3 in a hard-fought match. This win marks a significant milestone in her comeback journey and proves her resilience in professional tennis.

"A year ago, I was here with my back injury that I didn't know if I had to retire from this sport, and now I'm here, playing the best in the world." - Paula Badosa
Aus Open: Badosa dispatches Gauff to make maiden Grand Slam semifinal 
Melbourne, Jan 21: Former World No.2 Paula Badosa reached her maiden Grand Slam semifinal after upsetting World No. 3 Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinal on Tuesday.

Key Points

1

Badosa wins breakthrough Grand Slam quarterfinal against rising star Gauff

2

Dramatic comeback after career-threatening back injury

3

First Top 10 Grand Slam victory

4

Tactical and powerful performance at Australian Open

The 27-year-old Badosa, who was 2024's Comeback Player of the Year following a career-threatening back injury in the prior year, had previously been 0-2 in her career in major quarterfinals before she handed Gauff her first loss of 2025 in 1 hour and 43 minutes inside Rod Laver Arena.

"Today I came in, and I wanted to play my best game, and I think I did it. Coco, at the beginning, she was playing insane tennis, but I'm super proud of the level I gave today," Badosa said post-match

"A year ago, I was here with my back (injury) that I didn't know if I had to retire from this sport, and now I'm here, playing the best in the world. I won today, I'm in the semifinals, and I never would think that a year later, I would be here," she added.

Badosa clinched the first set 7-5 with a hard-fought hold, showcasing tactical prowess. Despite facing adversity at 30-30, she maintained composure, using a mix of power and placement to secure the advantage. Gauff fought valiantly, forcing errors and keeping the pressure on, but ultimately couldn't break through.

An 18-minute game of Gauff's serve to start the second set put the Spaniard ahead, and she won three straight games from 2-2 as Gauff's struggles continued.

But after failing to serve out victory at 5-2, Badosa emphatically sealed her place in the final four in with two aces, an unreturned serve, and a forehand winner in the match's final game.

The win also gave Badosa her first-ever Top 10 victory at a Grand Slam tournament.

The Spaniard now awaits the winner of the quarterfinal match between World No.1 and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, and No.21 seed and 2021 Roland Garros finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

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