Rejuvenated Badosa reaches quarter-finals of Australian Open for first time

Paula Badosa won against Olga Danilovic 6-1, 7-6 (2) on Sunday night and will face the winner of the match between American Coco Gauff, the No 3 seed, and Swiss Belinda Bencic in the next round

Paula Badosa Australkian Open © Psnewz
Australian Open •Round of 16 • completed
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Spaniard Paula Badosa, the No 11 seed, moved into the last eight of the Australian Open for the first time in her career by defeating Serb Olga Danilovic 6-1, 7-6 (2) at Melbourne Park on Sunday.

Danilovic led 5-2 in the second set but Badosa hit back to set up a clash with American Coco Gauff, who beat Swiss Belinda Bencic in three sets.

“I think I played really well,” she said. “I entered the match with ideas very clear. Very aggressive. I served really well. The second set was a little bit tricky because I think I was 5-2 down, but it wasn’t like a real 5-2 because I was playing well. It was like small points there. I think I changed the momentum and I finished playing great again.”

“It would mean a lot”

It is the second straight Grand Slam quarter-final for Badosa, who made the last eight at the US Open in September, her first time there and her first time at that stage of any slam since 2021. And she was happy to admit her dream is to go much further.

“It would mean a lot,” she said. “I haven’t experienced a lot of quarter-finals in my life. One of my goals with my team, especially after US Open, was, OK, let’s try to be in this round as much as possible. I’m happy that it’s the next slam, that it’s here. I think I need to experience more of these moments to know how to deal and to face them.

“In two days I have another opportunity. Of course, it would mean a lot. My dream is always to be in the final rounds of a slam. Being in these rounds are very special.”

The Spaniard won against Chinese Xinyu Wang (6-3, 7-6 (5)), Australian wildcard Talia Gibson (6-1, 6-0) and Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, the No 17 seed (6-4, 4-6, 6-3) ahead of her victory.

Earlier in the tournament, Danilovic, ranked No 55, won against Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus (6-4, 6-4), Russian Liudmila Samsonova, the No 25 seed (6-1, 6-2) and American Jessica Pegula, the No 7 seed (7-6 (3), 6-1).

Melbourne (Grand Slam), other last 16 results (Melbourne Park, hard, USD 60.627.573, most recent results first):

  • Eva Lys vs. Iga Swiatek
  • Emma Navarro vs. Daria Kasatkina
  • Veronika Kudermetova vs. Elina Svitolina
  • Elena Rybakina vs. Madison Keys
  • Coco Gauff vs. Belinda Bencic: sunday
  • Donna Vekic vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: sunday
  • Aryna Sabalenka (1) beat Mirra Andreeva (14): 6-1, 6-2

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