Spanish player Paula Badosa moved into the biggest final of her career with a 6-3 6-3 win over Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in her main draw debut at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Badosa has become the first Spanish player since Conchita Martinez in 1996 to reach the final in the Californian desert. She will take on two-time Indian Wells champion Victoria Azarenka.
The 23-year-old Spaniard is looking to score her third win against a Grand Slam champion after beating this year’s Roland Garros winner Barbora Krejicikova and Angelique Kerber. She achieved her fourth top 10 win of her season against Krejikova.
Badosa has dropped just one set en route to her second final of the season after winning her maiden title at the Serbian Open.
Badosa started the match with an early break and held on his serve to take a 2-0 lead. Jabeur broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Badosa won the final three games with two breaks in the seventh and ninth games to claim the first set 6-3. Jabeur converted just one of her ten break points. The African player was not able to convert break points from 0-40 in the second game and from 15-40 at 4-3.
The second set went on serve until the seventh game when Badosa converted her second break point to open up a 4-2 lead. The world number 27 earned three break points at 5-2, but Jabeur held serve after saving three match points in a six-deuce game.
Jabeur earned three break-back points at 3-5 0-40, but Badosa fended off all three break points and sealed the win on his seventh match point.
“Mentally I think I am very confident. I am believing every point. Every day I am working very hard as well. I think I am progressing on a little bit of everything and that’s what is making my level going up. That’s why I am in a final and playing against the best in the world”, said Badosa.
