Giant Badosa making history at the Australian Open!

¡Gigante Paula BadosaSpectacular on the center court of the Rod Laver Arena. The superlative version of the Spanish woman, 27 years old and world number 12, destroyed the hopes and nerves of the number 3, the 20-year-old American girl. Coco Gauffwho had won their previous nine matches this season and who has the 2023 US Open on their record.

Badosa disrupted the North American’s tennis with enviable power. Firm with the serve, a rock in defense and a steamroller in attack. Very solid, trusting like never in its possibilities. He had the pain of having been a victim of the pressure in the quarters. Roland Garros 2021 (Tamara Zidansek) y US Open 2024 (Emma Navarro)he took it off.

Experience helps. Badosa grew, and defeated Coco Gauff by 7-5 and 6-4 in 1h.43′. On Thursday she will face the world number one and two-time champion of the tournament, her Belarusian friend Aryna Sabalenkaor Russia Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

On the third opportunity, the more mature Badosa managed to break the quarter barrier, entering her first Grand Slam semifinal. And it was mathematically assured to return to a top-10 of the world ranking in which it had not appeared since the list of October 17, 2022. Whoever becomes No. 2 provisionally occupies ninth place.

She becomes the fourth Spaniard to reach this stage in Melbourne, with the desire to equal the status of finalists in the next step. Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (1994 and 1995), Conchita Martínez (1998) and Garbiñe Muguruza (2020).

It is a tournament that is missing from the record of Spanish women’s tennis, which was solved in the men’s game. Rafa Nadal with a double, waiting for Carlos Alcaraz also register your name in history.

Badosa was immense. He did everything well to secure the victory. The wall of completing such an important success remained to be overcome. She didn’t achieve it with 5-2 and serve, but she did it with 5-4 like a great. Without hesitation, with a forceful service. Satisfied, happy, she knelt on the ground. Although there is room for the celebration to be even greater in the coming days.

Since a second injection controlled the lumbar injury, tennis Badosa flows. He has been through many things in his sporting and life career. A foundation that now helps him take challenges with greater calm and determination. He had never beaten a top-10 Grand Slam player, he already has.

He recalled that “a year ago I didn’t know if I would have to retire from tennis,” in reference to the chronic back injury. He is dealing with everything, since the summer of 2024 he is going strong. When she is well, she is a clear candidate for any title and mission.

“Third time’s the charm,” he signed on the television camera. In New York He collapsed from nerves, in Melbourne he broke out. To the semifinals, holding Coco Gauff. He kept the pulse in a disputed opening set, 7-5 in 50′, and he didn’t even doubt it in the second.

He made the ‘break’ in an eternal fourteen-minute game, on his fifth breaking ball. That 1-0 reinforced her ambition, it undermined the morale of a Gauff who fought with her forehand and a serve that no longer helped her like in the first round.

Badosa harassed Gauff, as competitive as she was, so she did not give up until she was completely defeated. The American made a desperate attempt to recover from 2-0 to 2-2, preventing the Catalan from scoring 5-2.

He prolonged his agony waiting for help that did not come. The one in Begur rounded off a magnificent day. He also took his revenge for the last two defeats with Gauff, once again putting his balance with her on a positive note: 4-3.