Badosa 'loves Coco' but is gunning for 'revenge' in Melbourne quarters / Photo: Paul Crock - AFP
Badosa 'loves Coco' but is gunning for 'revenge' in Melbourne quarters
Paula Badosa declared Sunday she "loves" Coco Gauff -- but that will not prevent her looking for "revenge" when they face off in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Badosa, the 11th seed from Spain, swept aside Serbia's Olga Danilovic 6-1, 7-6 (7/2) to reach a last-eight clash with the American world number three.
"I love Coco. I respect her a lot," Badosa told reporters of the 20-year-old.
"She's a great competitor. We always have tough matches."
The pair have a 3-3 head-to-head record but Gauff won both their meetings in 2024, with each going to three sets.
The last time was in the semi-finals of the WTA China Open in Beijing, where Gauff won 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 on her way to lifting the title.
"Last one was really tough for me because I was winning in that moment, then the momentum changed," said Badosa, 27, who is prepared to go the distance again.
"I hope I can have my revenge here. It's a special match, quarter-finals, centre court, against her," added Badosa, who is into a quarter-final at Melbourne Park for the first time.
"I always enjoyed playing against her. I respect her so much. I will get ready for that battle again.
"She didn't lose a match this year, if I'm not wrong. She's full of confidence. But I'm playing well, too. I'm ready to face her."
The last time a Spanish woman reached the last eight at the Australian Open was in 2020 when Garbine Muguruza achieved the feat.
Badosa can reach a maiden Grand Slam semi-final if she beats Gauff on Tuesday, having also reached the last eight at Roland Garros in 2021 and the US Open last year.
"I haven't experienced a lot of (Slam) quarter-finals. I need to experience more of these moments to know how to deal and to face them.
"My dream is always to be in the final rounds of a Slam. It would mean a lot."
Z.Bianchi--IM
