Badosa, the first Spanish to reach the semifinals in Madrid

Paula Badosa literally tested the dirt of the Arantxa Sánchez Vicario track this Tuesday. And it was not because of a fall, but because he kissed her to celebrate that he had just beaten Belinda Bencic for the second time in a month. She had just made history at the Mutua Madrid Open by becoming the first Spaniard to reach the semifinals of the women’s tournament, which started in 2009. On her knees, she tried to assume that she had just achieved one of the greatest successes of her career, perhaps the greatest for tournament category, while pulling clay out of his mouth. With another show of strength and determination, she again subdued the Swiss (6-4 and 7-5 in 1:49), world number 11 and eighth favorite.

“I have to recover and tomorrow I’ll wait for you all in the semifinals,” she said excitedly after her victory. A rival awaits for a match that logically should play this Thursday not before 1:00 p.m., and it will be great: Ashleigh Barty, number one, or Petra Kvitova, three-time WTA 1,000 champion from Madrid. For the moment, success takes him directly and for the first time to the top-50 of the ranking, provisionally to position 42, the best of his career. No one can take that away from him, at least this week.

Results, tables and calendar.

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