Paula Badosa retires in Miami and moves away from number one

Paula Badosa leaves in the Miami quarterfinals. / afp

The Spanish relapsed from the problems she was carrying and left when she lost 4-1 to the American Pegula in the first round of the quarterfinal match

Paula Badosa lasted just 20 minutes in the quarterfinals of the Miami tournament. The Spaniard only lasted five games against the American essica Pegula before raising the white flag and withdrawing from the competition suffering from the physical problems that already hampered her in the previous round.

During the round of 16 match against 16-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova, Badosa had to be treated twice for indisposition. The player was not comfortable, she made bad gestures and her face denoted anything but calm. She managed to get the duel through, but against Pegula there was no miracle.

She forced herself to jump onto the court, but after 20 minutes, after losing four games in a row against the North American and with the score 1-4, Badosa said she couldn’t take it anymore. He didn’t even need to consult with the tournament doctors. He shook hands with his adversary and walked out of the Florida compound in tears.

Thus the possibility of being number two in the world vanishes, a position that was only one victory against Pegula away. Badosa will be the third best racket in the world next Monday, the best position in her career, but she loses control of the Polish Iga Swiatek in the fight to be the best. The withdrawal of Australia’s Ashleigh Barty from the competition opened up a new range of possibilities to become number one and Swiatek, with her advancement in Miami, has so far secured such an honor.

The Pole, who is competing for the Indian Wells-Miami double, has an advantage of 900 points over the Czech Barbora Krejcikova, who defends the Roland Garros title in a few weeks, and 1,000 points over Badosa. The Spanish will soon participate in Charleston, where last year she reached the semifinals after achieving her first victory against a number one, in the Billie Jean King Cup, which she does not distribute points, before playing Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros. In total, if the tournament won in 2021 in Belgrade is added, Badosa defends 1,285 points, while Swiatek has a loot of 1,450 points from last year, for the third round in Madrid, the title in Rome and the quarterfinals in Paris. The Pole also has the advantage of having been champion at Roland Garros in 2020.

As for Miami, the first semifinal will be played by Belinda Bencic against the Japanese Naomi Osaka, while Pegula awaits the winner of the duel between Petra Kvitova and Swiatek. With the elimination of Badosa, Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario will once again be the only Spanish tennis player, including men, capable of inscribing her name on the wall of champions in Miami. She achieved it in the 1992 editions, against Gabriela Sabatini, and in 1993 against Steffi Graf.

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