Paula Badosa magnificently defends the honor of Spanish women’s tennis at the Mutua Madrid Open, which she lost before starting her main star, Garbiñe Muguruza, goes down for some discomfort in the left leg. The Catalan born in New York returned to overcome a match that had been complicated, as in the first round against the Swiss Teichmann, and also beat the Latvian Anastasija Sevastova, who presented a match of attrition, but met resistance by Badosa. Paula survived in large part thanks to the push of the public who came to the court Arantxa Sánchez Vicario with a lot of desire to cheer and could not contain the tears when celebrating her victory by 7-6 (0), 7-6 (3) and 6- 0 in 2h: 35. She will face in the quarterfinals, a round that Belinda Bencic reaches for the first time in a WTA 1,000, which passed thanks to the withdrawal of Tunisian Ons Jabeur when she won it 7-6 (2), 4-3. A few weeks ago, Badosa beat the Swiss in Charleston.
“It was a very physical game, with a lot of wear and tear on me, and I was tired from the tension the other day and yesterday’s doubles (she lost with Sorribes as a couple). But I couldn’t give up,” she said into the microphone from TVE. “I love Madrid and I felt the connection with the public. Without that I don’t know if I would have won,” she added before explaining what the problem she had during the match consisted of and for which she was treated on her left leg: “I have a hitch, but I’m going to try to recover. I know what is going to come because we played recently (he said about Bencic), so I’m going to prepare well. “
What a match! 🤩@paulabadosa is the first wildcard to reach the quarterfinals at the @MutuaMadridOpen since 2017! pic.twitter.com/BlxY6IdUl1
– wta (@WTA) May 3, 2021
The fact is that she took a good beating to beat a Sevastova who played as well as Badosa herself had predicted in the press conference she gave after winning Teichmann. He responded to the attacks of the Spanish and counterattacked with success. In fact, in the second set he had clear options to close the match in a carousel of breaks that led to another tiebreaker that fell this time on Paula’s side. The third set was a walk for her, grown by the confidence that gave her to match the game and celebrate her survival with a tremendous scream that lit the respectable.
Barty and Kvitova don’t give in
In the other crosses of the day, the number one in the world, Ashleigh Barty beat the Polish Iga Swiatek (7-5 and 6-4). The Australian, who is on a 14-game winning streak on clay, will face the Czech Petra Kvitova in the quarterfinals, who avoided elimination by winning 6-3, 4-6 and 6-4 against the Russian Veronika Kudermetova.
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