Gauff stunned by Badosa in Australian Open quarters; Zverev beats Paul | Tennis News

Paula Badosa, who almost retired from tennis in 2024, has reached the semifinals of her first Grand Slam with a straight sets win over Gauff.

An “emotional” Paula Badosa dashed world number one Coco Gauff’s dream of a maiden Australian Open title with a stunning 7-5, 6-4 quarterfinal victory in Melbourne.

Badosa reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career – the first Spanish woman to do so since Garbine Muguruza in Melbourne in 2020 – in a match that lasted one hour and 43 minutes on Tuesday.

“I’m devastated,” said Badosa, who will face her best friend and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for a place in the final.

“I am a person with deep feelings. I wanted to play my best game. I think I did it.

“I’m proud of the level I gave today.”

It marks a remarkable return to tennis for the 11th seed who was ranked outside the top 100 last year after suffering a stress fracture in her back.

“I mean, last year I was here with my back turned, not knowing if I should quit this game, now I’m here playing with world stars,” said Badosa.

Third-seeded Gauff was unbeaten in nine matches this season but dropped her first set of 2025 before recovering to beat Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic in the last 16.

Badosa started strongly and put Gauff under pressure early in the first set.

The American, inexplicably, failed to build break points in the first set and squandered her match with unforced errors.

Gauff was far from feisty but said she felt happier than she did after her fourth-round loss to Emma Navarro at the US Open.

“Even though I lost today, I feel like I’m on the way to the top,” Gauff told reporters after the game.

“I know what I have to work on.

“Obviously I’m disappointed, but I’m not completely depressed.”

Meanwhile, men’s second seed Alexander Zverev defeated Tommy Paul to register a 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-0), 6-2, 6-1 victory and book his place in the last four.

Zverev, who received a warning for swearing during the quarterfinal after suffering from a bird’s feather, is among the favorites for the title.

The German was on a break in the second set when Paul saved two break points. With the game still to go, chairman referee Nacho Forcadell called a let and ordered a replay when he saw a white feather fall into Zverev’s eye as the German player was behind him.

“What? A feather? There are billions of them in the court,” said Zverev approaching the official holding a feather.

Zverev held the net to pause before returning to work, but Paul quickly held serve.

The world number 2 will face the winner of a thrilling quarterfinal between 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic and four-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz.