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Paula Badosa booked her spot in the Round of 16 of the 2023 Madrid Open with a resounding victory over Coco Gauff on Saturday. Badosa took down the American in straight sets (6-3, 6-0).
At her press conference, the Spaniard said that she knew exactly what she was going to do in the match beforehand - target Gauff's forehand relentlessly. Gauff's forehand has been a well-known liability on tour for a while.
While the World No. 42 admitted that Gauff is a very good player with a 'crazy' backhand and defense, she said that the 19-year-old tends to panic when her service games don't go to plan.
"I mean, she's a very good - she plays amazing when she's defending. She's very fast. She has crazy backhand, very good serve, especially first serves," Badosa said. "I just try to return her every ball to make her play one more. Sometimes when she feels she doesn't have free points on the serve, she starts to serve a little bit worse."
Targetting the forehand, therefore, was a clear plan of attack for the 25-year-old. Badosa added that she just wanted to give the ball to Gauff and push her to make unforced errors.
"Of course, going more to her forehand, most because her backhand is very good, and when you have like the spot there, you just go there, but I just tried to go to her forehand. Yeah, sometimes just give it to her and make her like do more what she can. And, yeah, that's a little bit the tactic that I can say now. I hope she doesn't read it," Paula Badosa said.
"I'm proud of myself; I have been working very hard" - Paula Badosa
Paula Badosa also spoke about her own game, saying that she was 'proud' of herself for beating a top-10 player in such convincing fashion. Having worked hard for so long, the Spaniard is happy to reap the rewards of her labor.
Moreover, playing a good match in front of her home crowd in Madrid made the victory all the more sweet for the World No. 42, who termed the win 'special':
"I'm proud of myself. I mean, I have been working very hard. It's been tough. I mean, tennis life is very tough. Every week you're losing and you have opportunities and you don't get it. Sometimes you get it. It's a tough career, you know," Paula Badosa said.
"So matches like this, as I said before, and in this court with all the crowd supporting you, it makes me feel like everything, it's worth it. Even though it's like third round, but it's as well special for me. After a tough year and after how I left here last year, yeah, I'm proud at how I managed everything," she added.
Badosa next faces Maria Sakkari for a place in the quarterfinals on Monday.
