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Badosa beats Bencic to reach Madrid last four

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MADRID: Paula Badosa reached the semifinals of the Madrid Open on Wednesday after a straight sets 6-4, 7-5 win over eighth seed Belinda Bencic.


Wild card entry Badosa will play either world number one Ashleigh Barty or ninth seed Petra Kvitova, who face off later on Wednesday, in the last four after becoming the first Spanish woman to make the tournament's semis.


The 23-year-old's win over the world number 11 was her third against a player in the top 20 following her victories over Bencic and Barty in her run to the semifinals in Charleston a month ago.


Badosa kissed the clay court in celebration of a win that will shoot the world number 62 up the WTA rankings.


In the men's draw second seed Daniil Medvedev, returning to the circuit after testing positive for Covid-19 in mid-April, picked up his first win on clay for two years when he came back from a set down to beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokinaa 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.


The Russian has always struggled on clay.


In four attempts, he has failed to get past the first round of the French Open. Nor has he won a match in Rome while this was his first win in Madrid in his third appearance.


"I love clay," he said ironically into the camera at the end of the match.


In total, the 2021 Australian Open has only notched up 11 wins on the surface although he will have the chance to make that 12 when he takes on Christian Garin in last 16.


HALEP CRASHES OUT


World number nine Diego Schwartzman was dumped out by Alsan Karatsev 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. Russian Karatsev will take on Alexander Bublik in the next round.


On Tuesday, world number three Simona Halep lost 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the last 16 to Belgian Elise Mertens, while Dominic Thiem claimed a straightforward win in his first match since March.


Romania's Halep, who won the Madrid title in 2016 and 2017, is still yet to reach a WTA Tour final this season and this was her earliest exit in the Spanish capital since a 2015 first-round loss.


In the quarterfinals, 13th seed Mertens will meet her doubles partner, Belarusian seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka, who dispatched American Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-2 in just 52 minutes.


The final last-eight tie will see Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova play Karolina Muchova, who needed four match points to beat Maria Sakkari 6-0, 6-7 (9/11), 7-5.


Russian Pavlyuchenkova edged out Australian Open runner-up Jennifer Brady 7-5, 6-7 (8/10), 6-3 despite missing a match point in the second set.


In the men's draw, world number four Thiem eased to a 6-1, 6-3 thrashing of American Marcos Giron in his first match for almost two months. -- AFP


Madrid Open results


Men (second round)


Aslan Karatsev (RUS) bt Diego Schwartzman (ARG x7) 2-6, 6-4, 6-1; Christian Garin (CHI x16) bt Dominik Koepfer (GER) 6-3, 6-4; Daniil Medvedev (RUS x2) bt Alejandro Davidovich (ESP) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2


Women (quarterfinals)


Paula Badosa (ESP) bt Belinda Bencic (SUI x8) 6-4, 7-5


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