After playing the best match of his career at Wimbledon, against the Czech Peter Kvitov, Paula Badosa offered this Monday his worst face against the former number one and former champion of the tournament Simona Halepwho got rid of Girona without much difficulty in an hour of play (6-1 and 6-2).
Only in the first game of the match could a comfortable Badosa be seen on the grass. His blank play in the service was nothing more than a mirage. Halep started the shredder with which he cooks the matches from the bottom of the track without Begur being able to oppose a reply.
The Romanian moved her from side to side of the track, without Badosa being able to at least place the balls that came to him frankly.
Badosa does not usually hide his feelings, and his body language made clear his state of mind: looks at his box, denial with his head, slaps on the hands …
The first manga closed with the most contested game, not enough for Badosa to escape his bad tone.
Things seemed to change at the start of the second set. After getting his first game of the last eight in service, Badosa enjoyed his first break ball, which would also be the last. He managed to retain the service once again, but from then on again the Romanian roller denied him any hope.
Sitting with the towel over her head and shaking her head from side to side, in the same way she would leave the track, the Catalan showed that it was not his day and it brought back to memory the bad sensations which it has dragged on in recent months, and which seemed to dissipate in London.
Surpassed by its rival in all statistical aspects, Badosa only managed to connect seven winners (by 17 of Halep), at the same time as it committed 21 unforced errors, for 9 of the Romanian. Although perhaps the worst fact for her was that she only got the 46% of the points with his first service.
At no time could Badosa dream of returning to his opponent the painful defeat that li is going to inflict at the Madrid Masterswhen he left her in four games.
Halep acknowledged after the match that he had missed a lot by playing at Wimbledon, where he did not after his victory in 2019, first due to the pandemic and last year due to an injury.
Now, notice how he has a relatively easy picture to revalidate that title, although in the quarterfinals he waits before the American Amanda Anisimovatwenty heads of series.
Badosa, meanwhile, returns to the London tournament in the round of 16, as last year, with a mixture of sensations but the bitter taste of his hard defeat to Halep.
