Paula Badosa has qualified for the second round of the WTA 1000
Qatar Open after eliminating Ashlyn Krueger in three sets in a duel that was played in two days due to rain. She was two games away from a win on Sunday night that she managed to close out on Monday morning (6-3/4-6/6/6-4).
In the first set, Badosa did not mess around and started the match by breaking her opponent first, which she would later confirm to take an initial 0-2 lead. However, the Spaniard was to give up her second serve to Krueger, allowing the American to take a 3-2 lead.
However, that was going to be the only truce Paula Badosa was going to offer to the number 82 of the WTA Ranking in the whole first set. The Spaniard would start by winning her serve, taking two break points to take a 3-3 lead. She would then take a key break, which she would confirm again with her serve to take a 3-5 lead, one game away from winning the set. Finally, Badosa would press to start the second set serving, and with 15-40 and in her first opportunity the Spaniard took the set.
The second set offered a very crazy scenario at first. Badosa lost her serve to start the set, but Krueger was going to do the same. At 2-2, again the Spaniard was very weak on serve, and this time the American was not going to take advantage of it, who also suffered another break.
This second missed opportunity to confirm the break would hurt Krueger even more than the first. However, she would manage to lift a very complicated game with 3-4 down, where Badosa had three break balls but could not materialize any of them. This game would give life to the American, who with a crucial break at 4-4 on Paula Badosa's serve, would manage to tie the match by closing the second set 6-4 on her first set point.
In the third and final set, Paula Badosa, aware of the delicate situation in which she found herself, would put one more gear to her game to go ahead by 0-3 in the sleeve breaking Ashlyn Krueger's serve with 0-1 and confirming it with her service next. With 2-4 up and serving, however, she was going to be 15-40 down with a break chance for the American, but the rain caused the suspension of the match, which resumed on Monday morning. Paula continued to play at a high level and closed without difficulty the duel after the night break. Good sensations in her return;