Fernandez succumbs to Badosa's power, exits Indian Wells

MANILA, Philippines – Leylah Fernandez kept pressing her bid with solid groundstrokes, fierce forehand and backhand winners and drop shots. But she just had no answer for Paula Badosa’s power and aggressive play, yielding a 4-6, 4-6 setback in their Round of 16 clash in the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California Tuesday night (Wednesday, Manila time).

The crowd also came to her side, particularly in stretches when she needed to stave off break points. Badosa, however, proved too determined to get past one of the toughest hurdles to her title-retention drive in the event she ruled via an energy-sapping three-hour victory over Victoria Azarenka last year.

“Leylah is an amazing player but I stayed aggressive throughout,” said the World No. 7 Badosa after fashioning out the one-hour, 42-minute victory that lined her up against the winner in the Veronika Kudermetova-Marketa Vondrousaova clash being played as of posting time for a spot in the semis.

The 24-year-old Spaniard thus stretched her record at Indian Wells to 9-0, matching Naomi Osaka’s record from 2018 to 2019. Badosa is bidding to become the first woman to defend the Indian Wells title in over 30 years with legend Martina Navratilova doing so in 1990-91.

Her straight-set win over last year’s US Women’s Open finalist likewise extended her first-set romp to 11 this year. Winner in Sydney early in the season, Badosa also has yet to drop a set in her first career title defense following her romps over Tereza Martincova, 6-2. 7-6(4), Sara Tormo 7-6(4), 6-1, and Fernandez.

The match was only their second faceoff with Badosa, then 22, edging Fernandez, 7-5, 7-6(3), in the first round of qualifying in Auckland in 2020.

Badosa snapped a hold-hold duel in the first six games with a break in the seventh on Fernandez’s unforced error and a backhand return that slammed into the net. The Filipino-Canadian actually broke back behind a combination of shots but the Spaniard recovered and took the ninth then held serve to clinch the 45-minute win.

Badosa, who kept the Fernandez serve under constant pressure, had 12 winners, four more than her rival and finished with 13 unforced errors against Fernandez’s 16.

After holding serve to start the second set, Fernandez forced a seven-deuce game on Badosa’s serve but failed to pounce on two break-point chances. The latter forced the last deuce on a forehand return before holding serve on back-to-back service winners.

After trading serves, Badosa broke again in the fifth and held sway to the finish, frustrating Fernandez, who dragged the former to a five-deuce game before dropping the eighth, for a 5-3 lead.

Fernandez, the World No. 21 and ranked 18th here, generated six break-point opportunities overall but was only able to convert once.