admin Paula Badosa fought back tears after recording her first victory since April as she fought back to beat Coco Gauff 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the Berlin Open on Wednesday.
“It’s been very tough,” the 28-year-old Spaniard said on court, clearly emotional. “One year ago here, I got injured and since then, I couldn’t play like consistently and also, I went through a lot professionally, but personally.”
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka then beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-4.
Spain’s Paula Badosa shakes hands with Coco Gauff of the US after winning their round of 16 match. Reuters
Earlier third seed Jessica Pegula despatched Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-4 and Alexandra Elea battled past Donna Vekic, who won the Queen’s final on Sunday, 7-5, 6-4.
While Badosa ended a five-match losing run, Gauff prolonged one in her first match on grass this season, less than two weeks before the start of Wimbledon.
Last season, after winning Roland Garros, Gauff failed to win a single match on grass suffering first-round exits in Berlin and at Wimbledon.
Gauff, the world No. 7, cruised through the first set, but then fell apart. The American’s first-serve percentage dropped in each set and the Spaniard broke twice each in the second and third sets as she won in one hour, 36 minutes.
Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka celebrates after winning her round of 16 match against Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova. Reuters
Badosa who reached No. 2 in the world in 2022 and was ranked No.9 before her injury last year has fallen to 142nd in the world and is playing on a wildcard in Berlin.
“Now seeing myself again, playing in this level for me means a lot,” said the 28-year-old.
“For me, it’s more the level that I play today against Coco because she started unbelievably well and I kept believing and I think finally I saw myself on court today.”
Badosa will next face her doubles partner Jessica Pegula.
The third-seeded American despatched Siniakova in just over an hour for a fifth straight victory over the Czech.
Sabalenka, playing for the first time since her collapse in the Rolland Garros quarter-finals, broke Alexandrova’s serve to lead 5-4 in the first set and closed it out on her own serve.
Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova returns the ball to Berarus’ Aryna Sabalenka during match in Berlin on Wednesday. AFP
Sabalenka broke again to start the second set.
Alexandrova broke back at once but Sabalenka broke again in the fifth game.
Alexandrova saved two match points on serve in the nnth game, but Sabalenka then served out to love.
Young Filipina Alexandra Eala battled past Croatian veteran Donna Vekic in a shade under two hours.
Vekic broke in the second game of the match but thereafter, she struggled to take numerous opportunities, breaking once more while 21-year-old Eala broke four times.
In all, Vekic had 14 break points during the match, but Eala saved 12 of them.
Aryna Sabalenka shakes hands with Ekaterina Alexandrova after winning their round of 16 match. Reuters
By contrast, the Filipina took four of her six break opportunities.
“I told myself that she’s fighting back, but I’m also a fighter,” Eala said on court.
“So I have to try — I have to try and give her a hard time.”
Agence France-Presse
