Former World No. 2 Paula Badosa had to dig deep to overcome Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa in a grueling three-set battle at the WTA 1000 Qatar Open.
Originally scheduled to face Katerina Siniakova, Badosa’s first-round challenge shifted unexpectedly when the Czech player withdrew due to injury. Instead, she was met with a determined Zarazúa, who pushed her to the brink before the Spaniard sealed a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory.
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🔥 First Set: Badosa Takes Control Early
Badosa imposed her authority early in the match, breaking Zarazúa’s serve and racing to a 4-1 lead. Despite a brief comeback attempt from the Mexican, Badosa maintained her composure, breaking again to close out the first set 6-3.
🔥 Second Set: Zarazúa Fights Back
The momentum shifted dramatically in the second set as Zarazúa flipped the script, securing an early break and holding strong against Badosa’s power.
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The Mexican showed resilience, keeping her lead and forcing the former World No. 2 to scramble for answers.
Badosa managed to break back, leveling the set, but Zarazúa responded immediately, winning the last two games to steal the set 6-4.
🔥 Decisive Third Set: Badosa Closes the Door
With her back against the wall, Badosa came out firing in the deciding set:
She stormed to a 3-0 lead, using her aggressive baseline game to put Zarazúa under pressure.
Zarazúa briefly threatened a comeback, cutting the lead to 3-2, but Badosa shut the door with a dominant closing stretch, winning 6-2.
After two hours and 22 minutes of battle, Badosa secured her spot in the second round, where she will face American Amanda Anisimova.
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🔥 What’s Next? Badosa vs. Anisimova in Round 2
Anisimova, a former French Open semifinalist, poses a dangerous challenge with her powerful groundstrokes and shot-making ability.
Badosa will need to clean up her errors and find consistency early to avoid another grueling three-setter.
A win in this match could set the tone for a deep run in Doha, a tournament where Badosa has shown strong performances in the past.
Can Badosa build momentum and shake off a shaky first-round performance? The battle continues in Qatar.