When Badosa went up to 5–1 in the second set, a third and decisive set seemed inevitable.
Then Emma Navarro came to life, won six straight games, and secured a spot in the semifinals. The American, ranked 13th in the world, has never previously reached so far in a Grand Slam tournament.
When I reduced to 2–5, I got a feeling that I would win in two straight sets, says Navarro according to AFP.
Paula Badosa was, for obvious reasons, not as cheerful after the match.
I was a complete catastrophe, says Badosa.
To lose a set after having led 5–1, it has never happened to me before. It's sad that it should happen today. I lost almost 20 balls in a row. It's a very strange feeling.
The victory in the quarterfinals against reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff already showed that Navarro is in top form this week. And now she is only two wins away from taking the title on home soil.
In the semifinals, either world number two Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus or Chinese Zheng Qingwen, who took Olympic Games gold last month, awaits.
They are two players who both hit very hard. They will be out to get me, but I will be ready, says Emma Navarro.
