Tom Ewart Smith
SPANISH tennis star, Paula Badosa, was defeated in the Australian Open semi-final early this morning, losing 4-6 2-6 to world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka is not only female tennis’ best player, but is also a long-time friend of Badosa.
Last year, the Belarusian even described Badosa as her “soulmate”.
Both will hope that Thursday morning’s result doesn’t affect their friendship as Sabalenka squashed Badosa’s hopes of reaching her first ever Grand Slam final.
The Spaniard, competing in a major semi-final for the first time, raced into a 3-0 lead in the first set but Sabalenka clawed the game back with her hard-hitting.
While the first set was close, the second was taken with more authority by the two-time reigning champion.
Following Carlos Alcaraz’s quarter-final defeat to Novak Djokovic, Spanish tennis fans may feel disheartened.
However, Badosa’s achievement in reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final is a testament to Spain’s continued success on the global tennis stage.
