Paula Badosa, once ranked fourth in the WTA, exited the US Open on Thursday in the second round after a tough straight-sets loss to Croatia’s Petra Martic, 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-2.
The Spaniard fought through an early challenge against Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko, starting strong and aggressive but losing momentum in the second set and facing a stubborn Martic on serve.
In Sydney this year, the champion from Spain fell in the second round for the second consecutive year, this time losing to Russian Varvara Gracheva last season.
Badosa, other than
In a match that stretched to a decisive moment, Martic saved five match balls in the third game of their Cincinnati clash, forcing Badosa to rally to win the first set in a tiebreak.
The Spaniard, who produced 83 percent of the points in the first set, relied on her serve while Martic answered with powerful serves and high-level shots.
The narrative unfolded after Badosa erased four break points in the ninth game, sealing a brilliant first-set performance in a tiebreak. With fourteen wins this season, including a first-round victory over Lesia Tsurenko, she stood as one of the year’s top performers.
She attacked the first set with a spectacular backhand, and after a demanding opening hour, she signaled focus by touching her temple.
Martic’s reaction
Competing on the hard court for only the second time this year, Martic did not lose confidence. She saved two break points for Badosa in the third game and evened the match at 6-1 in just half an hour.
The momentum shifted as Martic rode that energy into the final set, where she has posted a strong 7-4 record this season.
Badosa showed resilience in the third set, earning a timeout point at 1-0 but allowing a break soon after. Martic then moved ahead with a timely service return and another serve winner, keeping the score at fifteen.
A 14-2 partial is fatal for Badosa
Martic dominated the critical stretch, 14 of 16 points won, and Badosa exhibited clear signs of frustration and self-critique for earlier tactical errors. Martic used that moment to widen the gap to 4-1 with a well-timed timeout.
The Spaniard had once battled back from 3-5 in Cincinnati last year, but the Croatian did not falter this time.
Badosa managed to secure a late comeback in the decisive set, but the score quickly moved to 6-2 after Martic steadied her serve. The Croatian sealed the match with a 6-2 result and advanced to face Viktoria Azarenka of Belarus in the third round.
Badosa bowed out of New York in the second round again, leaving the tournament as the only major event in which she had not progressed beyond this round.
Muguruza returns
Garbiñe Muguruza swept past her opponent with a 6-0, 6-4 victory against a rising Czech player, Linda Fruhvirtova, who at 17 reached the third round of the United States Open, where she would meet Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic.
Muguruza displayed a flawless first set, winning it 6-0 in under 20 minutes and dropping only a handful of points.
The Spaniard, once ranked number one, showed elite tennis this year against an opponent making her major debut in the main draw.
Muguruza has rediscovered her form after a year with limited competition, her best recent result being a Doha quarterfinal run.
She acknowledged that any win is meaningful, especially in a year with fewer victories, after beating Clara Tauson of Denmark in the opening round.
If the first set felt comfortable, the second set quickly grew more challenging as Muguruza gave away a 4-1 advantage only to see Fruhvirtova surge back.
Fruhvirtova surged ahead with five consecutive games, eventually sealing the match with a 6-4 set. The Czech player delivered 25 winners compared with six from her opponent, marking one of the season’s standout performances.
The next matchup pits Muguruza against Kvitova, who advanced after Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina withdrew. The potential clash between these two former Wimbledon champions adds a compelling chapter to the tournament.
Kvitova holds five wins in earlier meetings with Muguruza, including a win at the US Open in 2017. The match is set for Saturday, pitting a veteran of two Wimbledon titles against a recent returnee who aims for another deep run.
The path ahead promises a high-stakes contest as the tournament continues to unfold, with both players hoping to make a deep run and build momentum toward the season’s latter stages.