BADOSA SPOILS HALEP’S RETURN
Spaniard to meet friend Sabalenka in second round at Miami Open
Miami, US - Paula Badosa spoiled Simona Halep’s return from a doping ban, fighting back to claim a gritty 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 win on Tuesday to move into the second round of the Miami Open and set up what is sure to be an emotion-packed match with Aryna Sabalenka.
Halep had been the player in the spotlight coming into Miami accepting a wild card when her four-year suspension was cut to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
But the focus quickly shifted to Sabalenka after the world number two’s long-time boyfriend, Belarusian former pro ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsov, died in what police said on Tuesday was an “apparent suicide”.
If Badosa was having a tough time dealing with Halep it will be nothing compared to the mental challenge she will confront in her next match on Thursday or Friday when she faces Sabalenka, someone she calls her best
friend.
Badosa said she has talked several times with Sabalenka during the last horrific 24 hours and just hopes her friend can find the strength from somewhere when she steps on court.
“It’s not an easy challenge, it’s
a mental one,” said Badosa. “She’s one of my best friends.
“Of course, I know what she’s going through.
“Yesterday I spoke with her a lot of time, this morning the same, so I know what she’s going through.
“I know the entire situation, what is happening.
“That for me is a little bit shocking also to go through that because at the end she’s my best friend and I don’t want her to suffer.”
Playing her first match since a first round loss at the 2022 U.S. Open, Halep displayed few signs of rust against the 80th ranked Spaniard in a rampaging opening set that saw her break a misfiring Badosa three times as a small but excited crowd chanted “SiMon-ah. Si-mon-ah”.
While Halep has won many tournaments, including two grand slams she insisted Tuesday’s return will stand out as a special moment in her career.
“It feel really good,” said Halep. “I had emotions, positive emotions to see the crowd supporting me was so nice and gave me a lot of energy and the level of tennis was pretty good, unexpected I think, for most of the people.
“It is a special day.
“I would say this day is going to stay very special for me.
The 32-year-old Romanian spark plug showed she can still make all the shots and had lost none of her trademark terrier-like determination running down ball after ball.