MADRID, 27 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa suffered a lot this Thursday to overcome her premiere at the Mutua Madrid Open, a WTA 1000 category tournament that is played on clay, and she needed two and a half hours to get rid of the Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto in three sets (6- 3, 4-6, 6-4), while compatriot Rebeka Masarova also advanced to the third round.
The Catalan had a tough contact with the red clay of the Manolo Santana Track. Under suffocating heat, with physical problems from the middle of the second set and against an opponent who put up a lot of battle, the twenty-sixth seed knew how to hold on to her options and draw on experience to now meet a bigger opponent like the American Coco Gauff .
Despite coming with good feelings after his time in Stuttgart (Germany), Badosa was unable to offer his best tennis, excessively erratic at many times, but apparently had the clash on track. Then, given the Italian’s reaction, she was able to hold on despite being visibly ‘touched’ on her left leg and appearing a bit off-center at times.
The beginning was not the one desired by the Spanish. Cocciaretto, with a game already adapting to the conditions of the capital, started strong and broke early to go up 2-0. However, the Catalan did not lose focus, and despite not finding her best tennis, especially with the ‘drive’, she only lost one more game in this round.
The third round seemed to be coming soon after. At 6-3 in the first set, another ‘break’ followed by Cocciaretto, but from there the problems began, mainly with one of his weapons, such as the serve. His rival managed three consecutive breaks to seize the initiative and remained calm to force the third and final set.
Badosa, by then, had already requested medical attention and revealed some discomfort in his left leg. Despite this discomfort, she remained hooked on the duel against a Cocciaretto who did not know how to take advantage of that apparent advantage or her opportunities over the rest.
The Italian enjoyed a 15-40 and two other breaking balls at 3-3, but the 2021 semifinalist in Madrid knew how to hold on and hit some great shot to hold on to her options and wait for her moment. This came with 5-4 in her favor, the moment in which Cocciaretto got the pressure to fatally deliver his serve.
MASAROVA LEAVES VEKIC OUT, BURILLO FALLS TO GAUFF
Now, Badosa will have to rest to recover from this effort to face Coco Gauff, number six in the world and who put an end to the adventure of the Spanish Irene Burillo, classified from the previous one and who fell in two sets 6-4, 6 -1.
The woman from Zaragoza gave ‘war’ to the American in the first set where she was 4-2 ahead, but there she was dismasted by her rival, capable of chaining nine games in a row to win the first round and leave the second set to be judged .
On the other hand, Paula Badosa was accompanied to the third round of the Madrid tournament by Rebeka Masarova, who got rid of a potential opponent like the Croatian Donna Vekic, 23rd in the WTA ranking, whom she beat in two sets 6-1, 7-6(5).
The Basel-born player offered a great level in the first set, resolved in less than half an hour, and led 2-0 at the start of the second. The Balkan knew how to react with five games in a row that left her very close to forcing the third set, but Masarova did not give up, saved four set balls and went up to 6-5 and serve. Vekic managed to force the ‘tie-break’ and again had the sleeve on track with 5/2, but the Spanish did not let her win any more points to meet the Greek Maria Sakkari, ninth favorite in Madrid.