In a stunning turnaround, Spanish tennis star Paula Badosa rallied to defeat top-seeded Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-0 at the prestigious China Open on Tuesday, securing her eighth career quarterfinal berth in a WTA 1000-level event. Down 3-1 in the opening set, Badosa displayed remarkable resilience, winning 11 of the last 12 games to claim her first-ever victory over the third-ranked Pegula.
Badosa praised Pegula’s formidable skills, saying, “She’s one of the toughest opponents I’ve faced – solid, precise, and able to change direction effortlessly. I knew it would be a battle, but everything clicked for me today.”
Next, Badosa will face Chinese veteran Zhang Shuai, who continued her remarkable comeback with a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Poland’s Magdalena Frech. Zhang, ranked 595th just weeks ago, has now won four consecutive matches without dropping a set, including a stunning upset over U.S. Open semifinalist Emma Navarro.
“I don’t worry about my opponents’ rankings,” Zhang said confidently. “I focus on my own game and take it one match at a time.”
In another major upset, Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva, ranked 115th, defeated 14th-seeded Anna Kalinskaya 7-5, 6-0. Starodubtseva will face the winner of the highly anticipated match between four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and sixth-ranked Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals. The two tennis powerhouses have not faced each other in over two years, with their head-to-head series tied at 2-2.
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