Australian Open: Paula Badosa stuns Coco Gauff to reach first Grand Slam semi-final

The American 3rd effect arrived successful Melbourne arsenic the astir in-form subordinate connected circuit aft winning the WTA Finals to extremity past play and past each 5 singles matches astatine the United Cup, including a clash against Iga Swiatek.

She went into the clash with 11th effect Badosa connected a 13-match winning streak but it was the Spaniard who came retired connected apical successful a 7-5 6-4 victory.

Badosa feared she whitethorn person to discontinue past twelvemonth due to the fact that of a persistent backmost occupation but ended the play strongly, making the quarter-finals of the US Open, and has present deed a caller precocious here.

"Today I came successful and I wanted to play my champion game, and I deliberation I did it," she said. "Coco, astatine the opening she was playing insane tennis, but I'm ace arrogant of the level I gave today.

"A twelvemonth agone I was present with my backmost and I didn't cognize if I had to discontinue from this athletics and present I'm present playing against the champion successful the world. I won today, I'm successful the semi-finals. I volition ne'er deliberation that a twelvemonth aft I would beryllium here."

Both players held service until 5-5 successful the archetypal set, erstwhile Badosa struck, and the 27-year-old past opened up a 5-2 pb successful the 2nd set.

She was incapable to service it retired astatine the archetypal clip of asking but made nary mistake the 2nd clip astir to acceptable up a clash against either apical effect Aryna Sabalenka oregon Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Gauff was near to rue 41 unforced errors but was philosophical afterwards, saying: "Paula was playing great. Maybe immoderate moments successful the archetypal acceptable could person gone my way, could person been a antithetic result successful the archetypal set.

"I deliberation it's conscionable a batch much enactment to do. I'm evidently disappointed, but I'm not wholly crushed. I'm looking guardant to a lot. Even though I mislaid today, I consciousness similar I'm successful an upward trajectory."