Badosa acknowledged the one positive was that she worked on her patience.
“I have this question a lot and to be honest, no, it didn’t help me. Maybe to learn and have a bit more patience, but [I wish] I could learn another way,” Badosa said.
“Being 21 days in a room doesn’t help anyone. I was feeling very tired, and I needed two more months to recover from all that.”
On Friday, eighth seeded Badosa flagged her credentials for the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after prevailing in a tough three-setter against Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
“I was expecting a tough match against her. I know she likes to play big matches. I knew she was going to give a very high level,” Badosa said about the 19-year-old.
Down the stretch in the decisive second and third sets, Badosa dug deep to beat a tough third-round foe, grinding out victory as warming temperatures started to bite.
Her first- and second-round wins came in much snappier style, including a 6-4, 6-0 removal of Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic on Monday. Badosa appears to be pacing herself well.
“I really like how she plays,” Badosa said of Kostyuk. “It’s nice always to have a battle like this and to win it. Yeah, I will have time now to recover and to see how it goes next one.”
Victoria Azarenka plays a backhand against Elina Svitolina.Credit:Getty Images
A decade after Victoria Azarenka won the first of her back-to-back Australian Open crowns, the Belarusian signalled her own threat to the women’s draw with a clinical elimination of Kostyuk’s compatriot, Elina Svitolina.
Azarenka, 32, needed only one hour and seven minutes to triumph 6-0, 6-2 and set up a fourth-round showdown with Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova.
“I wanted to put as much pressure as I could on her and kind of not let her come into the match,” said Azarenka.
“I [knew] if I give her a little room, she’s going to get back out there. That was my purpose today.”
Maria Sakkari.Credit:Getty Images
Other winners in the women’s top half included fifth seed Maria Sakkari, American Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys, who confronts Badosa next.
Sakkari is satisfied with her progress. “It has been a great start, not dropping a set, not getting too tired in my first matches, just finishing the matches in time,” she said.
“It feels great because I feel fresh and I feel ready for the second week. I know that from now on matches are going to get tougher. Not that they were easy – I don’t want to sound like that.”
Watch all the action from Melbourne Park on Nine, 9Gem, and 9Now.
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
Badosa primed for deep Open run
Source: Philippines Alive
