“I was disastrous” – Badosa on second-set collapse against Navarro at US Open

In just her second Grand Slam quarter-final, Paula Badosa has legitimate cause to be disappointed.

The Spaniard went down to Emma Navarro 6-2, 7-5, totally faltering in the second set having led 5-1. Dropping six games in a row, Badosa left Arthur Ashe Stadium with a first Grand Slam semi-final still out of reach.

Visibly tense in face of the weight of the occasion, Badosa dropped the first set but recovered well in the second set, leading 5-1 and finding herself one game away from reviving this quarter-final.

What followed was an inexplicable collapse that the Spaniard still had trouble digesting in her press conference after the match.

“I was completely disastrous,” was her candid summation.

“I never had the momentum in that game. I played four or five games correctly. Even at 5-1, I never felt like I belonged on the court. I didn’t feel good on serve, or at the baseline.

“That’s my greatest strength normally.”

In 2021, Badosa also lost in straight sets in her first major quarter-final, against Slovenian Tamara Zidansek at Roland-Garros.

“As soon as I stepped on the court, I felt weird”

Frequently looking to her box, Badosa was overwhelmed by tension, particularly in the latter stages of the second set.

The New York confirmed after the loss that she struggled to adapt to the situation.

“It’s the first time this has happened to me in my career. I think losing a set when I was leading 5-1, I’ve never done that before.

“There is always a first time for something and it happened today unfortunately.

“I was in great shape in the morning. I walked on the court and felt weird. I was surprised at myself, because normally I like to play on this kind of court, but I think it’s not the court that counts.

“To see myself sometimes so close, so far but so close at the same time, and with a good level, it’s very difficult to stay in the present, you know. I think my mind was everywhere except in the present.”

Badosa can still be proud of her fortnight and her recent surge in form – she will be back in the top 20 next week and has recaptured her status as one of the most dangerous players on the circuit.

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