Paula Badosa secured a hard-fought victory over Emma Raducanu in the quarter-finals of the Citi Open in Washington DC on Friday. After losing the first set 4-6, Badosa managed to rally and claim the next two sets with scores of 7-5 and 6-4. This victory sets up a semi-final clash with American Caroline Dolehide.
Raducanu, who had made a promising start by winning the first set, was unable to maintain her momentum against her Spanish opponent. Despite taking a 2-0 lead in the decisive set, she couldn’t hold off Badosa’s resurgence. This defeat ends Raducanu’s hopes of clinching the Citi Open title.
The British player, still on the comeback trail following wrist and ankle surgery, opted to compete in the WTA 500 event in Washington DC instead of participating in the Paris Olympics for Team GB. Raducanu’s decision was influenced by her desire to focus on her return to the US Open, where she achieved a memorable triumph in 2021.
Badosa’s path to the semi-finals included victories over Elise Mertens and Peyton Stearns. She now looks ahead to facing Caroline Dolehide in the next round after the American overcame compatriot Amanda Anisimova in the quarter-finals.
In other quarter-final action, top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka emerged victorious in an all-Belarus match-up, defeating sixth seed Victoria Azarenka. Sabalenka’s strong performance, marked by an 8-1 advantage in aces and effective play on Azarenka’s second serve, earned her a spot in the semi-finals against the Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova, who overcame Robin Montgomery in straight sets.
With an exciting line-up for the semi-finals, tennis fans eagerly anticipate the upcoming matches at the Citi Open.
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