Tennis – Navarro uses weak phase to reach semi-finals at US Open – Sport

New York (dpa) – Emma Navarro is the first player to reach the semifinals at the US Open, fueling the hopes of American fans for a surprise home victory. The 23-year-old beat Spaniard Paula Badosa 6-2, 7-5 and is among the top four in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in her tennis career.

Badosa’s game completely collapsed in the second set. The 26-year-old was already 5-1 ahead, but then nothing followed. Navarro won the last six games of the match in a row. “When I made it 2-5, I had a feeling it would be two sets,” said the New York native. “It’s crazy that I’m in the semifinals. US Open, baby.”

Navarro had already surprisingly defeated defending champion Coco Gauff. The 12th ranked player in the world will now face the winner of the party between Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus and Chinese Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng.

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