“I can’t believe it,” he said. Paula Badosa to his coach, Pol Toledo. He just missed an easy forehand which meant he was at a disadvantage again in the third set. It was not the only blow, but the general course of a match that the Spaniards had in his hands, before suffering a painful fall that led him to the opposite side, to defeat. He tried to withdraw the first line, but he overpowered his rival, who did not hesitate.
Paula Badosa, 26 years old and world number 19, he lost to the American Coco Gauff, 20 years old and No. 6, 4-6, 6-4 and 6-2 in 2h.18′. The North American will compete in the final of the WTA 1000 in Beijing this Sunday, at 1 pm, against the Czech Karolina Muchova or the china Qinwen Zheng.
The Catalan reached her fifth WTA final, putting herself within reach of returning to the top-10 in the world rankings. He sent 6-4, 3-1 and balls for 4-1, seal their superiority on the court with a double ‘break’. He didn’t finish that chance, he paid for it a few minutes later.
Suddenly, a break ball against us, a 4-4 that broke the Badass because he is playing a complete game. He did not assimilate this change of panorama, which became radical. Gauff rattled off six straight games, forcing a third set (Badosa’s first loss of the tournament) and taking a 2-0 lead. The Catalan had a negative winning streak of 2 out of 18 points.
Nothing to do with the sleeve and the half where Badosa showed his best version, when Gauff was desperate on the serve (11 double faults) and on the forehand. The one from Begur tried, she tried to hold on to the court, not to collapse like in the US Open against Emma Navarro. He stayed, but his morale paled, not unlike the strength Gauff gained as he reconnected with a fight he saw lost.
Badosa suffered their fourth defeat in the last 23 games. It would continue to climb the rankings, from 19th to 15th place. But the finish is missing in this work. He is very good at tennis, but it is difficult for him to seal the transcendent moments.
She would have been close to the option of entering the WTA Finals, she would have had the option of a fifth title and a return to the top-10. Badosa had laid the foundations, they fell apart when the last touch remained to be given. The line is positive, something to follow it immediately Wuhan WTA 1000 to have another chance to take the big step.
Champion in Washington, semifinalist in Cincinnati and Beijing, quarterfinalist in the US Open. Most of last year he couldn’t compete in these North American and Asian tours because of a back injury. But, logically, he wants more now that he is well. It’s not for tennis.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
