Tennis

Emma Navarro finishes strongly to beat Paula Badosa in US Open quarter-final

American beats Spaniard in straight sets to make first grand slam semi-final

Emma Navarro returns a shot against Paula Badosa during their women's singles quarter-final match at the US Open. Photograph: Sarah Stier/Getty
Jonathan Veal, PA, New York
Tue Sept 03 2024 - 21:49

Emma Navarro had full belief she would win her US Open quarter-final against Paula Badosa in straight sets.

The American 13th seed followed up her fourth-round win over defending champion Coco Gauff with a 6-2 7-5 success over the Spaniard to reach a grand slam semi-final for the first time.

It looked certain to go the distance, however, as Badosa was 5-1 up in the second set.

However, Navarro sensed Badosa would wobble and she went on to win 24 of the last 28 points in the match.

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“Even though she was up 5-1, after that game, I felt like she wasn’t totally confident in her ability to close out that set,” Navarro said.

“I felt like if I could push back a little bit and make her think a little bit on her service game, maybe I could sneak my way back in there.

“Sometimes you’re out in the court, and you can picture yourself playing a third set.

“When I was out there, I didn’t picture myself playing a third set.

“I felt I could come back and do it in two.”

Badosa, who is still making her way back from a serious back injury, described her performance as a “disaster” and suggested the pressure of the occasion got to her.

“I think she played really good and she managed the situation really well, and I was a complete disaster,” Badosa admitted.

“The thing that makes me the way I am today, it’s a slam and your dream is always to make the last rounds in a slam.

“Performing the way I performed today, I know that if it wasn’t a slam I would perform well.

“So that’s what’s a little bit why I’m like this today, you know.

“Because I didn’t know how to handle it the best way. Now I have to wait four months for the next slam, so it sucks.”

Navarro will play favourite Aryna Sabalenka or Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng, with whom she had a spat in Paris, in the next round. – PA