WTA Indian Wells: Paula Badosa tries to outsmart herself
For the first time in her career,Paula Badosa is starting a tournament as the defending champion. The Spaniard wants to escape the additional pressure with a simple trick.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit:
Mar 11, 2022, 08:59 am
It was one of the best matches of the entire season that Paula Badosa and Victoria Azarenka fought in the final of the Indian Wells WTA 1000 tournament in October 2021. Ultimately, the Spaniards should have the better end for themselves: After 3:04 hours of play, they converted their first match point to a 7: 6 (5), 2: 6 and 7: 6 (2) success.
Just five months later, Badosa returned to the site of her greatest success to date. For the first time in her young career, the 24-year-old will have to face the pressure of defending her title in the Californian desert. "I'm trying to trick myself and say that I won in October and therefore I'm not really defending the title, so it's not that much pressure," the Iberian hopes for a positive side effect from the postponement last year due to the pandemic.
There are no big secrets anyway. "You have to fight. Of course you have to have talent in tennis, but in my case I think I have to find the level of competition and not let myself be put under too much pressure," explained Badosa, who was surprisingly clear at the Australian Open in the round of 16 failed at Madison Keys .
In Indian Wells everything is supposed to happen now. The good memories from the previous year should also help Badosa: "I want to show my best tennis on the court and enjoy the competition. That was a bit of the key last year. I enjoyed every minute on the court." Badosa will play her first match against the Czech Tereza Martincova.
To the individual tableau in Indian Wells
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