A frustrated Badosa lost to Collins and sent San Diego into the quarters

Frustrated and powerless despite the fact that he never gave up, Paula Badosa said goodbye this friday San Diego WTA 500 tournament (USA) after falling in the quarterfinals against American Danielle Collins.

Australian Open finalist and world number 19, collins was imposed on the Spanish by 7-6(5) and 6-4 in a near two-hour duel.

Badosa, who has been going through a string of bad results and even dropped her racket at the end of the second set in a fit of rage, is finding it increasingly difficult to make it to the WTA Finals, where eight of tennis’ best players. of the season will compete. Your last option is to go through the Guadalajara WTA 1000 (Mexico).

At the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, so close to the California city’s airport that the noise of planes taking off and landing can be heard every game, the first set between Badosa and Collins was a rollercoaster ride. Badosa lost his first two at-bats to a solid and very serious Collins on his forehand and serve (4-1).

The first important moment of that opening set came at 4-2 and service for the American, a moment in which Badosa, far from giving the set up for loss, seized the opportunity to press her rival to the top. He put up 0-40 but it was only on his eighth break point of that endless game that the Spaniard was able to break Collins’ serve (4-3).

Badosa seemed to have done the hard part but Collins broke her serve again and only one game was needed to score the first set (5-3).

Again, Badosa had to row against the current, breaking the serve of a Collins who was caught in a double fault twice in a row and finally leading with a big sacrifice lesson (5-6).

Nothing was easy in that first set and Collins achieved a “break” in a blank game which caused the “tie break”, where the American, with another point of accuracy and also luck (a couple of his balls hit the net and fell on Badosa’s side), closed the first round after over an hour of tennis as close as it is unpredictable.

The second set began with the two players exchanging service breaks but Collins, who received medical attention for neck problems, achieved a new “break” in the decisive stretch that put him very close to victory (4 -3).

Badosa held on at (5-4) but, in a flash of frustration at an impressive shot from Collins, ended up sitting on the ground and threw his racket to the ground, prompting a warning from the chair umpire. The Spanish have two ‘break’ points to force 5-5, but Collins, quiet from serve, closed out the victory.