Paula Badosa, 27 years old and world number 12, he experienced the slide of emotions in his fight Marta Kostyuk, 22 years old and number 18. They have known each other since the time in the second circuit, when the Spanish girl was looking to get out of the depression times and come to terms with tennis and a young Ukrainian girl was aiming for the elite of the sport this.
Their date at the Australian Open is not unusual for the two of them. It was the third in Melbourne Park, Catalan territory, which was superior from the beginning, in the qualifying phase of 2019, as well as in the third round of 2022 (6-2, 5-7 and 6-4). ).
History repeated itself. A battle, a tug of war with different phases due to everyone’s emotional state, and again Badosa prevailed, this time by 6-4, 4-6 and 6-3 in 2h. 31′.
The one from Begur suffered many moments, but showed more punch. The match depended on him, he ended up losing to him in the third set. Qualification for the round of 16, against the American Jessica Pegula or the Serbian Olga Danilovicequaling his best result in this Grand Slam, the fourth round of 2022.
A victory that triggered Badosa in this tournament, which opened the door for him to return to the top-10, which he already approached in his good second part of the 2024 season, overcoming the complication of a chronic injury that the slopes left him stranded for months.
He temporarily gains a place in the ranking, placing himself in eleventh, behind the American Danielle Collins. Waiting for someone else to make a mistake and get to the quarterfinals, like they did at Roland Garros 2021 and US Open 2024.
Badosa was solid in the opening set, but suffered badly in the second. He immediately dropped his serve, unable to recover in a long game of 13 minutes. He reacted at 0-5, but his push was not enough for the set, decisive for the match.
As soon as the positive dynamic is restored, he decides the resolution. Kostyuk even served from the bottom once he had accumulated 16 double faults.
“Tsitsipas is more nervous than me, for sure. He supports me a lot and gives me good advice,” said Badosa, who had a far-fetched gestural discussion with his group during the tricky second set. “I was addressing my coach (Pol Toledo) when he said that he should go down to the court and play,” explained the native of Girona. The best Badosa regained strength.
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.
