Emma Navarro continued her impressive breakout season by securing a place in her first Grand Slam semi-final with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Spain’s Paula Badosa on Tuesday at the US Open. In a match between New York-born baseliners, Navarro, who had previously defeated defending champion Coco Gauff, overcame Badosa by winning the final six games of the second set. The match concluded in 72 minutes.
Navarro capitalised on an early break to establish a 3-0 lead and relied on her exceptional forehand, while fending off two break points, to claim the first set decisively.
In the second set, Badosa, representing Spain but born in New York, surged ahead with a 4-1 double break lead. She seemed on course for a third set after holding serve to lead 5-1, but experienced a dramatic collapse. Badosa failed to serve out the set twice, allowing Navarro to level the score. Navarro then sealed her victory with a fifth break of serve.
Navarro has significantly elevated her game in 2024, having never progressed past the second round at a Grand Slam before this year. She has now reached at least the third round in all four Grand Slams this season, including a fourth-round finish at Roland Garros and a quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon.
In the previous round, Navarro had ended Coco Gauff’s US Open title defence with a 6-3 4-6 6-3 win. Gauff had been looking to avenge her fourth-round loss at this year’s Wimbledon but Navarro stunned the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium with an aggressive all-round display to reach the quarter-finals for the first time. Third seed Gauff fought her way back into the match after going a set down but ultimately 19 doubles faults and 60 unforced errors meant her first defence of a Grand Slam title was destined to end in disappointment.
Next up for Navarro is a clash against either Aryna Sabalenka, the two-time reigning Australian Open champion and second seed, or Zheng Qinwen, the Olympic champion and seventh seed.
Source Agencies
