Daria Saville Upsets Paula Badosa at WTA Merida Open Quarterfinals

MÉRIDA, Mexico — Daria Saville delivered a stunning performance in the quarterfinals of the WTA Merida Open on Friday, overcoming Paula Badosa, the 10th-ranked player in the world, who was forced to retire from the match due to back pain.

Badosa, who had a strong start in the tournament with a decisive victory over Jacqueline Cristian, faced significant challenges in her match against Saville. The Spaniard won her previous match with minimal opposition, dropping just ten points on serve with a score of 6-1, 6-2.

However, her match against Saville took a turn for the worse as she experienced discomfort in her back, a recurrent issue that has plagued her career in recent seasons. Badosa was leading at 1-6, 5-3 when she ultimately chose to withdraw from the competition. “I hope this isn’t anything serious and that I won’t be sidelined again,” Badosa said in a post-match statement.

In the second quarterfinal, Emma Navarro continued her impressive form, defeating Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey with a commanding score of 6-4, 6-2. Navarro, who previously reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, has shown promising signs early in the season and is looking to make a significant impact in Mexico.

Navarro’s strong performance was marked by an 80% success rate on break points against Sonmez. She will face Elina Avanesyan in the semifinals, who defeated Maya Joint in a three-set battle, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.

The match results from Friday include:

• Elina Avanesyan (ARM) – Maya Joint (AUS): 4-6, 6-2, 6-0
• Emilia Arango (COL) – Rebecca Sramkova (SVK): 5-7, 6-3, 6-0
• Emma Navarro (USA) – Zeynep Sonmez (TUR): 6-4, 6-2
• Daria Saville (AUS) – Paula Badosa (ESP): 1-6, 5-3, retire

The tournament is scheduled to continue with semifinal matches taking place this weekend, as players strive for the title at the WTA Merida Open.