Paula Badosa of Spain pulled off a stunning victory over third seed Coco Gauff in the Australian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday, securing her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal spot with a thrilling 7-5, 6-4 win. The 11th-seeded Badosa delivered an exceptional performance on the sun-drenched Rod Laver Arena, marking a significant milestone in her career.
Badosa’s victory sets up an exciting semifinal clash, where she will face either two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The win also represents a personal triumph for Badosa, who had previously faltered in the quarter-finals of major tournaments. Overcome with emotion, Badosa dropped to her knees after securing her spot in the semifinals, reflecting on her 15th career win at a Grand Slam.
Speaking to the crowd directly after the match, Badosa said, “The last few Slams, the quarter-finals were pretty tough for me, so today I just wanted to do my best. I think I played really well today.”
For Gauff, the defeat was a bitter blow to her hopes of reaching her fifth Grand Slam semifinal and second consecutive semifinal appearance at Melbourne Park. The 19-year-old American struggled throughout the match, committing 28 unforced errors, particularly on her forehand, and her serve let her down at key moments.
Badosa wasted no time asserting her dominance in the first set. She targeted Gauff’s forehand early on, creating multiple break-point opportunities. Although Gauff saved two break points in the third game, Badosa finally broke through in the 11th game, converting a third break point with a powerful forehand winner. Badosa then capitalized on Gauff’s errors to take the first set 7-5.
In the second set, Badosa maintained the pressure. After a 14-minute battle in the opening game, Badosa broke Gauff’s serve on her fifth opportunity to take a 1-0 lead. Gauff briefly fought back to level the set at 2-2, but a costly double fault gave Badosa the momentum. The Spaniard then unleashed a series of forehand winners, breaking Gauff’s serve once more to lead 5-2. Badosa served for the match at 5-3, keeping her composure to close out the win and seal the match.
Reflecting on the momentous victory, Badosa said, “I think I manage the emotions a little bit better, not always, but sometimes. This is a dream come true.”
