With a previous streak of 15 consecutive victories on clay in Europe and four titles this season,
Ashleigh Barty
loomed as the worst possible opponent for
Paula Badosa.
in her first semifinal in Madrid, the first also of a WTA 1000. The Spanish had on her side the triumph achieved against the world number 1 and winner of Roland Garros in 2019 on the American soil in the quarterfinals of Charleston, an endorsement that is far from obvious due to its recent nature, to the extent that it also left eloquent signs of its progression, ratified at the Mutua Madrid Open when it was planted in the penultimate round after arriving at the tournament with an invitation. Barty confirmed his status as a favorite and won 6-4 and 6-3, in one hour and 15 minutes, qualifying for the final this Saturday.
With hardly any witnesses on the court Manuel Santana, in an inappropriate atmosphere for a match of this category, with the plus, in addition, of a local player in the fray, Badosa kept the type until the border where the partials begin to be defined.
It is not easy to neutralize Barty's abilities, which are many.
Play as if everything you do is easy.
No ball has the weight or speed of the previous one.
Double fatal lethal
Backed by her service, with an improper self-confidence in a situation of such responsibility, Badosa saved a break ball in the eighth game and successfully tackled the first two set balls. It was in the third when he committed the double fault that cost him the set. Her immediate reaction, then breaking the Australian's serve at the start of the second set, proved futile as she gave up her back serve on target.
The Spanish, who will jump twenty places in the ranking despite the defeat and will appear on Monday as number 42, has completed the best tournament of her career.
Semifinalist also in Charleston and Lyon, she leaves Madrid very strengthened.
He has a tennis comparable to the elite, with good service and forehand and maintains his aggressiveness when subtracting.
It does not wrinkle.
Not even with 3-1 the rest in the second he lowered his arms.
Envido with three
break
options
finally stifled by his rival, who closed the game with a millimeter left, another one in his repertoire.
He did not leave any more doors open, sign until the resolution.
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