Paula Badosa Stuns Coco Gauff to Reach Australian Open Semifinals

Australia’s Sunshine State of Mind

MELBOURNE: Spain’s Paula Badosa stunned error-prone third seed Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open on Tuesday to reach the last four at a Grand Slam for the first time.

A Thoroughly Deserved Victory

It was a thoroughly deserved victory for Badosa in a sunbathed Rod Laver Arena as she set up a meeting with double defending champion Aryna Sabalenka or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Emotional Moment for Badosa

“I’m a bit emotional, as you know, I’m a very emotional person,” said the 11th seed, who sank to her knees in disbelief after sealing her spot in the last four with her 15th winner.

Badosa’s Strong Performance

“The last Slams, the quarterfinals were very tough, so today I wanted to play my best game. I think I did it… I’m super proud of the level I gave today,” Badosa said.

Gauff’s Disappointing Performance

Gauff’s bid to reach her fifth Grand Slam semi-final, and second in a row at Melbourne Park, foundered on her fragile serve and no fewer than 28 unforced errors on her forehand.

Badosa’s Strategy

Badosa showed her intentions early on in a tight first set by attacking the 20-year-old’s forehand to grab a couple of break points in the third game. Gauff saved both but Badosa came back at her in the 11th game, earning a third break point with a backhand volley and converting it with a huge cross-court winner off the forehand.

Pressure Mounts in the Second Set

Badosa kept up the pressure in the 14-minute opening game of the second set as Gauff’s serve started to creak and the 27-year-old converted her fifth break point to edge ahead. Former US Open champion Gauff had yet to carve out a single break point and that continued as Badosa held to consolidate her advantage at 2-0.

Badosa Seals the Victory

A fifth double fault of the match let Badosa back into the next game, though, and a couple of forehand winners gave the Spaniard a third break of the contest, while another in game seven blew the lead out to 5-2. Badosa knew she was on the brink of moving into uncharted waters in her career and Gauff exploited her nerves to break back again but the Spanish number one made no mistake when serving for the match at the second attempt.

Conclusion

Paula Badosa’s victory over Coco Gauff marked a significant milestone in her career, as she reached the Australian Open semifinals for the first time. With her strong performance, she will be looking to continue her run in the tournament and make the most of the opportunity.

FAQs

* What was the score of the match between Paula Badosa and Coco Gauff?
+ 7-5, 6-4
* Which players will Badosa face in the semifinals?
+ Aryna Sabalenka or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
* How many unforced errors did Coco Gauff commit during the match?
+ 28