Paula Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over U.S. Open finalist Jessica Pegula at the China Open on Tuesday to reach her eighth career quarterfinal at a WTA 1000-level event.
From 3-1 down in the opening set, former No. 2-ranked Badosa dominated in her first-ever win over third-ranked Pegula.
“She’s one the of the players I never want to face — she’s very solid, hits very flat, changes very well direction,” said Badosa, who was 0-3 previously against Pegula. “I prepared myself for a battle, but I think today everything worked pretty well.
“Every point was very important for me, especially against Jessica, because she can come back at any moment.”
Badosa next faces 35-year-old Chinese player Zhang Shuai, who continued her resurgence with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Magdalena Frech of Poland.
Zhang entered the China Open on a 24-match losing streak and ranked No. 595, but she’s yet to drop a set in four matches this week. That includes eliminating U.S. Open semifinalist Emma Navarro in straight sets for her first win over a Top 10 player in two years.
Zhang is now into her first women’s tour quarterfinal since Tokyo in 2022, and her first at a WTA 1000 tournament since Cincinnati in the same year.
“In this draw, everyone has a higher ranking than me,” Zhang said. “Just step on court, just play. So I do not have much to think about, to prepare. I will just focus on myself.”
Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine also caused an upset loss beating No. 14-ranked Anna Kalinskaya 7-5, 6-0.
The No. 115-ranked Starodubtseva will play the winner of the marquee women’s match of the day between four-time major winner Naomi Osaka and sixth-ranked Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals.
It will be the first meeting between the two Grand Slam champions in more than two years, with the head-to-head series tied at 2-2.
