Spain’s top female tennis player Paula Badosa has overcome heat and a brave showing by Beatriz Haddad Maia, an improved Brazilian, to reach the semi-finals at the Adelaide International 2.
After spending two hours and 34 seconds on court, World No.11 Badosa won a 7-6 (7-5-7-5) 7-5 victory.
After climbing from 82 at 2021’s end to No. 15, Haddad Maia is now at a career high No.15 in the world.
“I know she is a fighter and it was going be a long match. She is never defeated. “I really respect those kinds of players,” Badosa stated.
“It was a very physical match. It was very difficult.”
Badosa will play world No.8 Daria Kazatkina in the final to have a chance at a fourth career title. This is after the Russian beat Petra Kvitova, 6-3 7-6 (7-3), in the quarter-finals.
The other semi final will feature Veronika Kudermetova from Russia, world No.9, who saved several match points against Danielle Collins, the Australian Open finalist last year.
Kudermetova won the set in the 4-6 7-6 (7-5-6) 6-1 victory. She will now face world No.13 Belinda Bencic to compete for Saturday’s final.
In a high-quality duel lasting one hour 53 minutes, Bencic, the Swiss Olympic champion, defeated Caroline Garcia, France’s world number 4.