Two first-time US Open quarter-finalists, Paula Badosa and Emma Navarro, face off on Tuesday for a place in the final four in New York.
The Spaniard is returning to the last eight of a major for the first time in three years, while her American opponent defeated defending champion Coco Gauff in three sets to continue her impressive 2024 campaign.
Match preview
© Imago
Badosa's return to a Grand Slam quarter-final seems the just reward for a player who has won 14 of 16 matches since Wimbledon after returning to the tour following her seven-month back injury nadir.
The No. 26 seed's form in the lead-up to the final Slam of 2024 bade well for her prospects in New York, underscored by clinching the WTA 500 title in Washington and reaching the semi-finals of the tune-up event in Cincinnati before her deep run at Flushing Meadows.
The 26-year-old has dropped only one set en route to this stage, against qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the previous round where she needed to save a match point in the closely-fought decider but needs to raise her level in Tuesday's meeting with Navarro.
Born in New York, supporters are unlikely to back her over the emerging American, as Badosa aims to become the first Spanish woman since Conchita Martinez in 1996 to reach the tournament's semis.
Having won just two matches at Flushing Meadows before this year, Badosa has doubled that number in the 2024 event and now seeks a fifth against her younger opponent in the last eight.
© Imago
Her opponent proved that beating Gauff in Wimbledon at the same stage in July was no fluke by notching another victory over the defending US Open champion on Sunday, clinching a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win over the 20-year-old.
The upshot of that three-set win means Serena Williams remains the last woman to retain the title in New York — three titles from 2012 to 2014 — and Navarro joins a list of women hoping to be first-time champions at Flushing Meadows.
Although the 23-year-old benefitted from Gauff's incredible 19 double faults, the second-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist was adept at finding the corners on both wings and making the deposed champion uncomfortable for much of their third tour-level meeting.
The No. 13 seed's previous match-up with the No. 3 seed at Wimbledon was followed by a tame showing in her last-eight loss to Jasmine Paolini, an outcome she hopes to avoid on home turf.
A 0-2 losing record at the US Open has become a 4-2 win-loss return due to an impressive run to consecutive last-eight appearances at Slams, and she seeks a maiden semi-final berth on Tuesday.
Tournament so far
Paula Badosa:
First round: vs. Viktorija Golubic 6-0 6-3
Second round: vs. Taylor Townsend 6-3 7-5
Third round: vs. Elena-Gabriela Ruse 4-6 6-1 7-6[8]
Round of 16: vs. Yafan Wang 6-1 6-2
Emma Navarro:
First round: vs. Anna Blinkova 6-1 6-1
Second round: vs. Arantxa Rus 6-1 6-1
Third round: vs. Marta Kostyuk 6-4 4-6 6-3
Round of 16: vs. Coco Gauff 6-3 4-6 6-3
Head To Head
Rome (2024) - Round of 64: Badosa 1-6 6-4 6-2
The pair's only meeting on tour came in Rome this year, with Badosa clinching a victory in three sets.
The Spaniard recovered from a 6-1 first-set loss at the event to claim the next two sets for a place in the round of 32.
Navarro entered the US Open with a 45-19 win-loss record, exceeding her opponent's 26-15 statistic.
We say: Navarro to win in three sets
Having succumbed comfortably to Paolini in the last eight at Wimbledon following a victory over Gauff, Navarro hopes that experience stands her in good stead for another shot at a Grand Slam semi-final.
The battle-hardened American has come through three sets in the last two rounds and another could follow against the in-form Badosa, as the higher-ranked opponent looks to the home support to carry her through a tricky encounter.
