By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, November 13, 2021
Paula Badosa banged 10 aces scoring a 7-6(4), 6-4 win over Maria Sakkari to secure a semifinal spot in the WTA Finals in Guadalajara.
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Bouncing on her toes during the coin toss, Paula Badosa looked like a woman going places before a single shot was struck.
Playing bold first-strike tennis, Badosa banged 10 aces stopping Maria Sakkari 7-6(4), 6-4, to secure a semifinal spot in the WTA Finals in Guadalajara.
Kontaveit: Matter of Trust
It was Badosa’s eighth straight win and ensures she advances to the final four from Group Chichén Itzá.
"I think it was quite a tough match. I served well," Badosa said. "I fight for every point. I knew was going to be a battle against Maria.
"I think I stayed aggressive. I was moving well. When you win these kind of matches I think you have to do a little bit of everything well. I think the key was a little bit in the important moments I was quite brave and I played very good."
Badosa played proactive tennis scoring her sixth Top 10 win of the season to improve to 43-15 in 2021.
"It was amazing atmosphere; I really felt you," Badosa told Andrew Krasny and the crowd afterward. "Today, it was amazing.
"I enjoyed; I suffered at the same time, but I knew I was going to suffer against a player like Maria. She's an amazing fighter."
Red-hot Anett Kontaveit, who has won 28 of her last 30 matches, already secured a semifinal spot from Group Tenochtitlán in the round-robin event.
WTA Finals debutant Badosa has not surrendered a set in victories over Sakkari and top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka. Tonight, Sabalenka squares off against 2020 Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek.
"I mean, it was a very close match obviously," Sakkari said. "I think my serve was the reason why I couldn't, like, hold serve easily, why I couldn't perhaps get more chances on winning that match.
"But overall I think it was a very high-level match from both of us. Even though I lost, that gives me a lot of confidence for my last match in the round-robin."
The stakes were high and Badosa was sharp on serve from the start.
Elevating her level in the fifth game, Badosa rolled through successive shutout games breaking at love for 4-2.
The Indian Wells champion was cracking drives into the corners as she streaked through 12 of 13 points stretching her lead to 5-2.
Sakkari made her move when Badosa served for the set. Changing direction smartly, Sakkari broke back for 4-5.
Badosa stopped Sakkari’s three-game run stamping her second love hold for 6-5. Sakkari scraped through a tense hold in the 12th game forcing the tie breaker.
Firing flatter drives that found the mark, Badosa burst out to a 5-1 lead in the breaker.
On set point, Sakkari stuck a shot off the sideline and tried to exploit it with a delayed approach. Badosa leaned low and snapped a snazzy forehand pass crosscourt snatching a one-set lead after 67 minutes. Badosa celebrated pointing an index finger to her temple.
Eighty-five minutes into the match, Badosa blasted an ace down the T for 40-love. Sakkari worked her way back to deuce dabbing a drop shot winner. Badosa hammered a forehand sitter swiping away break point. The Spaniard saved a second break point and held strong for 3-1.
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A defiant Sakkari dug out of a triple beak point hole then saved a fourth break point with a daring drop shot. Sakkari erased a fifth break point with a forehand dropper.
The forehand failed the Greek again as she netted one to confront sixth break point. Sakkari slammed a forehand into the corner to save it. A stubborn Sakkari made a fierce serve standing holding in the fifth game.
Empowered by the stand, Sakkari rallied from 15-3 down earning a break point with a clean drop shot winner and breaking for 4-all as Badosa netted a volley.
Resilience was key to Badosa’s success today. The seventh-seeded Spaniard exploited another missed drop shot from her opponent and bled a pair of backhand errors to break again for 5-4.
Showing guts when she served for the match, Badosa went for a big second serve at 30-all. The serve was ruled out, but Badosa’s successful challenge showed it touched the sidelined for match point. Badosa had a good look at a backhand down the line, but missed it then double faulted to face a break point.
The Greek’s infatuation cost her as Sakkari shoveled a dropper into net. Racing up quickly to a short ball, Badosa kept cool and swept a crosscourt forehand for a second match point.
Stepping into the court, Sakkari slammed a diagonal forehand to draw even. On her third match point, Badosa banged a backhand winner crosscourt closing with a clenched fist as she pounded her palm over her heart celebrating a physical two hour, four-minute victory.