Paula Badosa to reach career-high World No 2 thanks to Stuttgart win

WTA Tour
Delight for Paula Badosa

Paula Badosa will reach a new career-high ranking thanks to her last eight victory over Ons Jabeur at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.

Badosa had to work hard for her win yet again, but clinched a place in the semi-finals with a 7-6(9), 1-6, 6-3 win that took two hours and 11 minutes to complete.

Both players led the first set before Badosa claimed it in a tiebreaker, which proved critical as Jabeur dominated the second set to force a decider.

Badosa moves up to second on the WTA Rankings, usurping the spot from Barbora Krejcikova.

The soon to be World No 2 led 2-0 after a solid start to the match; however, Jabeur would snatch the initiative at 5-3.

Both players had set points in the tiebreak. Badosa would deny Jabeur the stanza at 6-5 and 8-7, before she converted her third chance to take the opener.

Jabeur started the second set on fire, while Badosa struggled to get into the match.

Badosa only claimed six points in the first five games of the second set and despite improving later she quickly found herself level with Jabeur.

Jabeur threatened to take hold of the third set, earning three break points in the third game of the decisive set.

Badosa claimed the critical break herself in the fourth game and would not relinquish the lead, although she did drop serve.

Jabeur broke Badosa to make it 4-3 in the Spaniard’s favour but couldn’t hold to restore parity.

Badosa then served out the match booking her place in the semifinals in her maiden Porsche Tennis Grand Prix tournament.

It was Badosa’s second three-setter of the tournament after she battled past Elina Rybakina in the Round of 16.

She will face the winner of the quarterfinal clash between third seed Aryna Sabalenka and fifth seed Anett Kontaveit.

In the other quarterfinal action, Emma Raducanu faces World No 1 Iga Swiatek with the winner going on to meet either Germany’s own Laura Siegemund or Liudmila Samsonova.

Paula Badosa

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