🎾 In a gripping quarterfinal match at the China Open in Beijing, home veteran Zhang Shuai of the Chinese mainland was eliminated by Spain's No. 15 seed Paula Badosa with a score of 6-1, 7-6(4). This win propels Badosa to face the No. 4 seed Coco Gauff from the U.S. this Saturday. 🌟
Badosa dominated the first set, securing three break points early on and transforming a 4-0 lead into a decisive 6-1 victory. 💪
Not one to back down, Zhang made a strong comeback in the second set. She converted a break in the first game with an impressive return winner and maintained the momentum to lead 2-0. 🏅
Although Zhang missed a critical break point in the third game, she rallied by winning four consecutive points, pushing her lead to 3-1. 🔥
However, Badosa launched fierce counterattacks starting in the fifth game, taking advantage of Zhang's increased errors. With the score at 5-4 and a match point in her favor, Badosa seemed set to advance. But Zhang fought back, winning four straight points in the tenth game to tie the set at 5-5, making it a nail-biting finish as the set eventually went to a tiebreak. 🏸✨
Congratulations to Paula Badosa for her hard-fought victory and best of luck in her upcoming match against Coco Gauff! 🎉👏
