Paula Badosa has taken a gigantic step forward in maturity this year and this Saturday she proved it once with her epic victory against Magda Linette, 29-year-old Polish and 44th in the world who had just eliminated the third seed at Wimbledon, the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina. The Spanish came back in a match, which was played with a lot of wind and was interrupted by the rain, and that It was very difficult for him after he lost the first set and his rival took a 3-0 lead in the third. In the end, he won 5-7, 6-2 and 6-4 in 2:24, and it will be in the Manic Monday, Crazy Monday in Spanish, the day before the Middle sunday, the intermediate Sunday in which there is no competition. On that day all the round of 16 of the two tables will be played and Badosa will face the Czech Karolina Muchova, who dismounted Roland Garros finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (7-5, 6-3).
The Catalan did not have to suffer so much to beat Linette, a player whose best ranking was 33 and who has won a couple of titles. But the serve did not accompany the New Yorker, who has a serious problem with double faults, which she must control if she wants to achieve greater goals. This time he committed seven, but some of them struggled to fit breaks. Her opponent had nothing too special beyond being a sack of nerves and a fairly athletic tennis player, with the capacity for defense and with good shots, sometimes definitive. But Paula also has them and to that she adds a character that has become indomitable.
When it was worst, Javier Martí's disciple did not despair. Her coach cheered her on relentlessly along with Sara Sorribes, her friend and doubles partner, and Silvia Soler, preparer of the Castellón. With a 3-0 run, he evened the score and struck the final blow to get 5-4 and serve. That last serve was also suffered until Linette missed a right hand and the suffering ended. With this victory, Paula opens in the top-30, provisionally as 29th.
“I have fought to the end, without losing faith”
After playing her second-round doubles match with Sara Sorribes and losing it to Americans McNally and Gauff by a doubles 6-4, Badosa attended the media, satisfied with her performance against Linette “I have played very good tennis, especially in the third set. I have fought to the end and I have not lost faith. I am very happy to be in Wimbledon week,” she said at a press conference. “This means a lot because I want to show people that I am not just a clay court player. I think I've handled emotions very well and I've never stopped believing, “he added. “I had to leave everything to him. It has pushed me to the limit”said Paula, who will face Muchova for a place in the quarterfinals. “She is a player who adapts very well to this surface. It will be a challenge. This year I am overcoming many challenges here.”
Results and women's table calendar.