It was a tough day at the office for Coco Gauff, who couldn’t capitalize on any of her opportunities in her quarterfinal loss against Paula Badosa at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose.
The Spaniard rallied from a break down in the first set to record the 7-6(4) 6-2 victory, looking more confident as the match progressed. Gauff obtained an early break to lead 3-1, and served for the opening set at 5-4. However, a few errant shots and some inspired play from Badosa saw the World No.4 break back, before taking the set in a close tiebreak.
With momentum on her side, Badosa seemed more energized as she matched the American’s power from the baseline. Conversely, Gauff appeared deflated, as the errors began to creep into her eleven solid game. The World No.11 was broken twice to fall into a 1-5 hole, and she appeared more frustrated with each shot. Badosa on her part de ella relied on her consistency to engage in long rallies with her younger opponent, which resulted in the Spaniard winning most of the points.
Although Gauff staved off defeat to force Badosa to serve for the match, the second seed was able to do so, closing out proceedings after an hour and 26 minutes.
The second seed will face Daria Kasatkina in the semifinals, after the World No.12 upset fourth seed Aryna Sabalenka in their quarterfinal encounter.
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