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

Melbourne, Jan 21 (IANS) 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.

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.

--IANS

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