Paula Badosa needed three sets to win her second-round match at the Mutua Madrid Open a couple of days ago. On Saturday though, the Spaniard needed just an hour and 11 minutes to best sixth seed Coco Gauff in their round-of-32 clash.
Badosa clinched a 6-3, 6-0 against the 2022 French Open runner-up. Badosa won 69% of her first-serve points and 50% of her second-serve points. She also won 58% points on return on Gauff’s first serve and 75% points on return on the American’s second serve.
She saved two of three break points she faced while converting six break points on the teenager’s serve. All three break points Badosa faced came in the first set. After the match, 26th seed said, “I’m proud of myself.
Matches like this… in this court with all the crowd supporting you, it makes me feel like everything, it’s worth it”.
Mutua Madrid Open: Mirra Andreeva’s surge extends
In the fourth round, Badosa will take on ninth seed Maria Sakkari.
The Greek survived Badosa’s compatriot, wildcard Rebeka Masarova in their third-round encounter. Sakkari came from a set down to prevail 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 after two hours and 23 minutes of play. The match itself spilled onto the early hours of Sunday morning.
Sakkari finished the match by saving 17 of 20 break points she faced and converting five of 14 break points she had on Masarova’s serve. Another wildcard Mirra Andreeva kept up her upsetting trend in the Spanish capital for the third straight round.
On what was her 16th birthday, Andreeva took out 2023 Australian Open semi-finalist and 17th seed, Magda Linette in their round-of-32 meeting. Andreeva completed a 6-3, 6-3 win after almost an hour and 30 minutes of play. In the next round, Andreeva will take on world no.
2, Aryna Sabalenka. Talking about that match-up, Andreeva said, “I have nothing to lose. I just have to go there and show the best tennis I can. There is no pressure at all for me. There is some pressure on her, I think, because she’s going to play a 16-year-old girl.
Most probably, we will play on some stadium, so I’m excited to do that”. Lastly, Egypt’s Mayar Sherif also advanced to the fourth round at the Mutua Madrid Open with an upset over fifth seed Caroline Garcia. Sherif won 7-6(2), 6-3 against the Frenchwoman after an hour and 47 minutes. Photo Credit: Carousel Deportivo Twitter
