Fingers in the sky, Paula Badosa celebrates in the centre of the Louis Armstrong after a fierce battle with the Romanian Elena Gabriela Ruse, resolved with a lot of composure, a lot of heart and with bravery: 4-6, 6-1 and 7-6(8), after 2h 32m. “I have spoken with my coach [Pol Toledo] “And she told me that there was only one option, which was to be more aggressive and go for the point before her. So that’s what I did. At times, it seemed like I was playing against Simona Halep… She played a crazy match, very good, at a great level. And right from the start she surprised me,” says the Catalan, biting her lip and savouring a sweet and hitherto unknown level for her in New York, that of the second week and the round of 16 of the tournament; a reward, regardless of what happens from now on, for a player rebelling against a reality that seemed to have cornered her.
She had already been besieged by Ruse, who arrived at the match with a warning under her arm, having beaten the Czech Barbora Krejcikova – champion of Roland Garros and the last Wimbledon – in the previous station and also reminding the Spaniard that the only time they met, in Dubai two years ago, Badosa ended up scalded. Not so this time, she thwarted a terminal situation, saving a match point in the second set and becoming strong in the tie-break. Confidence is growing, expressed by the summer journey. There are 13 victories in the last 15 matches, a trophy that reinforces the spirit (Washington) and, above all, the feeling that once the issue of the back is under control, more or less, “in a few days”, the tactical and strategic bet is working. Thus she beats Ruse, who is a fighter from start to finish, and thus progresses.
“It was a very high quality match, congratulations to her, she has the quality to be higher up. It was difficult, but it went well, and the credit also goes to my coach,” says the tennis player from Begur, who is reaching the round of 16 for the fifth time. major —previously at Roland Garros and Wimbledon (3)— and who will meet on Sunday with Victoria Azarenka (20th) or Yafan Wang (80th). Before, a comeback and a cool head against a very deceptive opponent, with good strokes and hungry, with a ranking much lower than that shown by her game (122nd) and that she came from the qualifying phase. Ruse went all out, but Badosa reacted in time, continuing to get benefits from the plan: the first hits, key in today’s tennis.
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