Beijing

Fifteenth seed Paula Badosa from Spain triumphed over wild card Zhang Shuai in the quarterfinals of the China Open on Thursday, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win 6-1, 7-6(4). This victory marks Badosa’s third semifinal appearance in her last five tournaments, reflecting a remarkable performance with 28 wins in her last 35 matches since mid-May.

Earlier in the week, Badosa showcased her skills by defeating No. 2 seed and US Open finalist Jessica Pegula with a dominant score of 6-4, 6-0. With this win, Badosa became the fourth Spaniard to reach the China Open quarterfinals, joining the ranks of Anabel Medina Garrigues, Carla Suarez Navarro, and Garbine Muguruza, who accomplished this in 2015.

Just a year ago, Badosa was ranked outside the Top 50 and struggled with a back injury. By May, she had dropped to No. 140, but within four months, she has fought her way back into the Top 20. Winning the title this week could even propel her back into the Top 10 for the first time since 2022.

This semifinal marks Badosa’s fifth at the WTA 1000 level and her second this season, following her success in Cincinnati. Previously, she reached multiple WTA 1000 semifinals only once, in 2021, when she made it to the last four in Madrid and won the prestigious Indian Wells tournament.