Badosa cruises past Kerber, advances to semifinal at Indian Wells

The semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells tournament has gained its final entrant, with Paula Badosa upsetting Angelique Kerber to secure her spot in the last four.

Badosa looked superb in her 6-4 7-5 win over the 10th-seeded German, showing flashes of brilliance that has seen her slowly rise in the rankings. The Spaniard obtained an early break to lead 2-0, only for Kerber to break right back and level the score at 2-2. However, Badosa applied pressure to her opponent's second serve, forcing another break before taking the first set.

With momentum on her side, the 23-year old dictated play in the second set, overpowering Kerber from the baseline. The Spaniard was soon up 5-2, but faltered when serving for the match to allow Kerber back in the game. However, the two-time Grand Slam champion failed to extend the match to a tiebreak, handing her opponent the well-earned victory.

With the semifinal lineup now complete, Badosa will face Ons Jabeur as both ladies will attempt to reach their maiden WTA 1000 final.