February 11, 2025

Open Court

MORE TENNIS THAN YOU'LL EVER NEED

SBD Preview: No. 1 Barty vs. WC Badosa in Madrid semifinal

Photo: Mutua Madrid Open/Mateo Vilalba)

On current form, you’d expect Ashleigh Barty to be in the Mutua Madrid semifinals.

And in getting past tough competition in 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek and two-time Madrid champion Petra Kvitova, she’s earned it.

And she’s battle-tested.

For Spanish wild card Paula Badosa – the first Spanish woman to reach the Madrid quarterfinals since the women joined the party in 2009 – it’s more of a surprise.

But if you look at her draw, and the doors that opened up along the way, it was a matter of seizing a great opportunity.

Here’s our preview of their semifinal (not before 1 p.m. Madrid time Thursday) for SBD.

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