Paula Badosa, the No.12 seed delivered one of her cleanest performances of the year to defeat Mayar Sherif 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of the Charleston Open, here.
The Charleston Open has historically been a happy hunting ground for Badosa. The Spaniard was a semifinalist in 2021, scoring her first win over a reigning World No.1 along the way with an upset of Ashleigh Barty, and a quarterfinalist in 2022.
“It’s impossible to forget. I was No.70 in the world, and this is where it all started,” Badosa said.
This year, Badosa arrives in Charleston seeking to arrest a slide down the rankings. Just under a year ago, she hit a career-high of No.2; this week, she has fallen to No.29. But she was able to navigate the danger of Sherif’s shotmaking with a consistent display.
“I had a lot of days from Miami to here to practice,” Badosa said wryly, referencing her third-round exit to Elena Rybakina in Florida.
“So I really worked very hard. I’m playing well, I think. I hope it starts here again,” he added.
Badosa will next face either former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez or returning mother-of-two Evgeniya Rodina.
