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‘Super proud’ Badosa through to Open quarter-finals

Badosa reacts after beating Gauff

Source: Roland Garros

Resurgent Spaniard Paula Badosa has advanced to her first major semi-final, sending red-hot American Coco Gauff crashing out of the Australian Open in straight sets.

The 11th-seeded Badosa – who briefly dropped out of the world’s top 100 in early 2024 as she battled a debilitating back injury – proved too good for No.3 seed Gauff in their quarter-final encounter in Melbourne on Tuesday, winning 7-5 6-4 in a match lasting one hour and 43 minutes.

The prize for Badosa is a maiden grand slam semi-final, where she will take on either two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka or Russian veteran Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Gauff was riding a 13-match winning streak coming into the Rod Laver Arena clash, but she was no match for the inspired 27-year-old.

“I’ve been through a lot,” Badosa in her on-court interview.

“In the past I was one of the best players in the world but I think now I’m a better player, more mature.

“I think I managed my emotions a little bit better.”

Badosa claimed the only break of the opening set in the 11th game.

She set up the crucial break-point opportunity by nailing two clutch volleys to go up 30-40 and then converted the advantage with a forehand cross-court winner.

The Spaniard served the set out in the following game with a minimum of fuss.

Badosa looked to have taken a stranglehold on the match when she broke again in marathon opening game of the second set that lasted for 14 minutes.

The American did manage to get the set back on serve at 2-2 only to be broken again immediately after leading 40-15.

And things only got worse for the 20-year-old who double-faulted to give Badosa the double break and a 5-2 lead.

Gauff got one of the breaks back but Badosa held her nerve to serve it out at the second attempt.

“As you know, I’m a very emotional person,” Badosa said.

“I came in, I wanted to play my best game. I think I did it.

“Coco at the beginning, she was playing insane tennis, but I’m super proud of the level I gave today.”

Badosa’s previous best results at the majors were quarter-finals at the 2021 French Open and last year’s US Open.

Both she and Gauff had only dropped only one set in their previous four matches at the Open.

“A year ago I was here with my back and I didn’t know if I would have to retire from this sport,” said Badosa, the one-time world No.2 and former French Open junior champion.

“Now I’m here playing against the best in the world.

“I won today and I’m in the semi-finals.”

Tony Jones' controversial Djokovic joke

Source: Nine Network

Alcaraz narrows focus as Djokovic looms

Elsewhere, world No.3 Carlos Alcaraz is ignoring the hype around his bid to complete a career grand slam bid as he focuses on his blockbuster against 10-time champion Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz will become the youngest player to win all four major titles if he lifts the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup at Melbourne Park for the first time this week.

But the 21-year-old faces an almighty hurdle in the form of Serbian superstar and seventh seed Djokovic at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday night.

“Obviously I’m one step closer,” Alcaraz said after his 7-5 6-1 walkover against Britain’s Jack Draper in the fourth round.

“But what I’ve learned in the previous grand slams that I’ve played is going day by day in a grand slam.

“Grand slams could be so long if you’re thinking about what’s next or about thinking in the future.

“I just want to think about the present day by day, just trying to feel as good as I can every day, respecting every round, every player. That’s it.

“I think that helps a lot to show your best tennis in every match, just thinking about the present and giving the 100 per cent of yourself.”

Djokovic enters the contest amid a wave of controversy, having taken offence to a poorly executed on-air joke from veteran Australian television broadcaster Tony Jones.

But the 37-year-old is keen to move on ahead of an eagerly anticipated clash with Alcaraz, who won in straight sets when the pair met in last year’s Wimbledon final.

Djokovic boasts a 4-3 record in their head-to-head battles.

“I’m expecting a big battle, as is the case in most of our matches where we faced each other,” Djokovic said.

“Maybe just couple times it was quite one-sided.

“Wimbledon finals last year, he was the dominant force on the court. I had a really good match against him in the World Tour Finals in 2023.

“Other than that, we had some long battles, long exchanges kind of matches that I played against him.

“[They] remind me of my match-ups versus [Rafael] Nadal in terms of the intensity and the energy on the court.

“He’s very dynamic, explosive player. Incredibly talented, charismatic player. Great to watch, not that great to play against.”

Alcaraz-Djokovic isn’t the only blockbuster in the men’s draw on Tuesday, with second seed Alexander Zverev taking on 12th seed Tommy Paul.

The American boasts a 2-0 head-to-head advantage over his German opponent, but the pair haven’t met in almost three years.

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