Google News Sydney Tennis Classic: Barbora Krejcikova and Paula Badosa set title clash
by ABBEY JOHNSON | VIEW 2857
Barbora Krejcikova and Paula Badosa will contest the final of the 2022 Sydney Tennis Classic on Saturday. For both players, this is the first final of the 2022 season, ahead of the first Major of the year at Melbourne Park.
In the first semi-final, Krejcikova outlasted Anett Kontaveit in a wild match that lasted two hours and 30 minutes. The Estonian overwhelmed the Czech in the opening set as she bagelled the latter but over the next two sets, Krejcikova gathered her poise and momentum to script a comeback, 0-6, 6-2, 7-6(12).
In the third set, Krejcikova first saved three match points while serving to stay in the match at 5-6. Then, in the tie-break, she saved four more. Likewise, the 2021 French Open champion was thwarted in her attempt to clinch the victory for herself on four occasions in the tie-break before she captured the win on her fifth match point.
Sydney Tennis Classic: Paula Badosa, Barbora Krejcikova's rivalry intensifies
Speaking with the media after her win, Krejcikova acknowledged her opponent’s effort. “I think from both sides it was a really, really tough match.
I think we played wonderful tennis. It was very, very tight, and I'm really happy that I was able to hold the nerves better and that I won this match. I was expecting it was going to be really difficult, and I know that Anett, she is playing really great tennis and she's very aggressive.
I was just playing, just trying to fight for every single ball. When I had those match points down, I was just trying to figure out how to build up the point and how to win the point, and that was everything that I was focusing on,” she said.
Unlike Krejcikova, Badosa had an easier outing in her semi-final against Daria Kasatkina. The fifth seed won in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 in an hour and 15 minutes. Badosa lost her serve twice but broke Kasatkina six times to ensure smooth sailing for herself until the end.
The Sydney Tennis Classic between Barbora Krejcikova and Paula Badosa will be their third match-up against each other. Both of their previous matches came in 2021 with the Spaniard winning both.
