UK: 18+ USA: 21+ | Begambleaware.org | T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly
The first set of Madrid Open seeds competed in the women’s singles yesterday. While there were a few seeds that went out, the majority made it through to round three. However, it wasn’t exactly plain sailing for some of the seeds, and this was certainly true for Paula Badosa. The 25-year-old Spaniard had an absolute battle against her Italian opponent, Cocciaretto, in the second round yesterday. But ultimately, Badosa pulled through in three sets, taking the final set by a score of 6-4.
Of course, this is fantastic for Badosa, especially since her struggles with confidence and even mental health have been well-documented in recent times. And because of this win, she progressed to round three where she will now face the 6th seed, Coco Gauff. This will be a stern test for the Spaniard, especially due to the injury that Badosa was struggling with in her opening match.
It was tough to watch her hobbling around at times, and to her credit, I’ve no idea how she managed to pull that match out of the bag. She really did seem down and out, but she fought hard in front of her home crowd to take the win. However, my intention here is to discuss how serious Badosa’s injury is, and whether or not she can realistically continue at the Madrid Open.
Let’s look further into this right now.
Badosa’s Injury – A Concern but Not Tournament Ending
If you watched this match yesterday, you’d assume that the Spaniard was suffering from a pretty severe ankle/leg problem. Yet in the post-match press conference, Paula Badosa claims that she was purely struggling with cramps, not enduring an injury, technically speaking. Then again, if these were just leg cramps, then they certainly appeared to be impacting the Spaniard in a big way.
However, we have to take things at face value when it comes to player injuries, and they are the best judges of how severe the injuries feel. So with that in mind, I’ve given my conclusion on Badosa’s injury right here.
Should Be Just Fine for Gauff Clash
Given that Badosa wriggled through in this opening match, she will now take on Coco Gauff in round three. This will really be a test of where she is at both physically and mentally. But Badosa should go into this match with a fair bit of confidence. She has beaten Gauff twice in the past, and she actually has a 2-1 head-to-head lead over the young American. Of course, she also has the home crowd to her advantage, and they will no doubt be cheering Badosa with every point won.
As for the injury, if it really was just cramps in the opening round, then I’m inclined to say that Paula Badosa should be just fine. Then again, she will need to be careful when competing against Gauff in round three. She needs to avoid a repeat of the opening round, as Gauff is good enough to put her away if she is struggling with cramps and movement.
Subscribe to Punditfeed on Google News for all the latest updates from the world of sports!
