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Match details
Fixture: (1) Ashleigh Barty vs Paula Badosa
Date: 6 May 2021
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open 2021
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Madrid, Spain
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €2,549,105
Match timing: Not before 1 pm local time, 4.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Ashleigh Barty vs Paula Badosa preview
World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty has put together a fantastic season so far despite having taken nearly six months off in 2020. The Australian won the Yarra Valley Classic in Melbourne and the Miami Open to begin her 2021 hardcourt season in strong fashion.
Barty kicked off her clay season in Charleston, where she bowed out in the quarterfinals. But she then bounced back to defeat Karolina Pliskova, Elina Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka consecutively on her way to the Stuttgart title.
At the Madrid Open this week, the 25-year-old has registered impressive wins over 2020 French Open champion Iga Swiatek and three-time Madrid champion Petra Kvitova. She has now been rewarded with a semifinal matchup against local favorite Paula Badosa.
Badosa herself has been in great form this year; this is her third semifinal of 2021, after having made it to that stage in Lyon and Charleston too. Moreover, the Spaniard likes playing on clay, as evidenced by her semifinal showing in Istanbul and fourth-round appearance at Roland Garros last year.
Badosa has brought her rich vein of form to Madrid too. The 23-year-old came through a tricky three-set encounter against Anastasija Sevastova in the third round, before defeating eighth seed Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals.
Ashleigh Barty vs Paula Badosa head-to-head
The semifinal encounter in Madrid is the second meeting between the two players, and Paula Badosa currently leads the head-to-head 1-0 over Ashleigh Barty.
The pair faced off at the start of the 2021 clay season last month in Charleston, where Badaos defeated Barty in straight sets.
Ashleigh Barty vs Paula Badosa prediction
Their respective rankings and form indicate that the semifinal encounter should be a relatively simple one for Asleigh Barty. The Australian will, however, be wary of Paula Badosa given what happened in their previous meeting.
The Spaniard broke Barty's serve five times in Charleston, and even out-aced one of the best servers on the WTA tour in the process. That said, the Aussie hasn't played a lot on green clay, so that may have played a role in the result too.
Barty came into Madrid high on confidence after a remarkable triumph in Stuttgart, where she showed plenty of grit and determination in addition to her finesse and touch. Her all-court game has worked perfectly in the high-altitude conditions of Madrid this year, helping her get past power players like Kvitova and Swiatek.
If Barty can break down Badosa's defence by assuming the role of the aggressor using her strong serve and signature variety, an upset looks unlikely.
Prediction: Ashleigh Barty to win in straight sets.
