WTA Indian Wells: Paula Badosa - "Have to suffer if they want to beat me"
Paula Badosa is currently the woman of the hour in Indian Wells: After last year's success, the Spaniard is also in the semi-finals in 2022. And before the duel with Maria Sakkari , he makes a declaration of war on the competition.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit:
Mar 18, 2022, 04:06 pm

With everything that the women's quarter-final matches at the WTA 1000 event in Indian Wells had to offer in terms of play, there was one thing they definitely didn't have: excitement. Although Paula Badosa and Maria Sakkari could not quite build on the uncanny dominance of Simona Halep and Iga Swiatek in their quarterfinals , the two southern Europeans also stormed into the semifinals without losing a set.
For Badosa, this is the tenth individual success in the Californian desert in a row, the 24-year-old will serve as the defending champion at the WTA 1000 event in 2022. The conditions, according to the Spaniard after her quarter-final success, were simply enormously beneficial to her game: "I have a magical connection to this place. I know it may seem like an advantage that I've won so many matches, but even when I was in played the qualification, I noticed that the conditions here are very beneficial for my tennis."
It was her fighting spirit in particular that paved the way to the semi-finals, as Badosa explained: "The most important thing is that I'm able to fight for every ball when my opponent dominates and always get one more ball I want my opponents to see that if they want to beat me, they have to suffer for three hours," said the Spaniard. "I know I don't move as well as others because I'm tall, but I've improved my mobility a lot and although I always want to be aggressive, I've found a balance in my game."
Badosa meets Sakkari
In addition, the courts in Indian Wells are not that fast, and the ball bounces off high - all of these are characteristics that Badosa can only benefit from in her game. "I didn't expect to reach the semifinals, which makes me very happy," said the 24-year-old after reaching the last four. "I know the year is long and I can't play well every week, but this result means a lot to me."
In the semi-finals, Badosa will now face Maria Sakkari, number six in the women's tennis world. "I have a lot of respect for her, she's a very good girl and a born fighter on the pitch. In a way, I see myself in her game and personality," Badosa said ahead of the match. "It's going to be a very complicated game where I have to put my best version on the pitch."