The Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa has secured a spot in the round of 16 at the WTA Dubai tournament, following a convincing win over Belgian Elise Mertens with a score of 6-2 and 6-1. Next, she’ll face off against the seventh-ranked Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan, who recently defeated Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima with a score of 6-3 and 6-3.
The round of 16 was a relatively straightforward step for Badosa, as she dominated the match against Mertens, who is ranked 31st in the WTA classification. This encounter marked the first meeting between the two players. Badosa started strong in the first set, outplaying her opponent and managing to close it out with a 6-2 score, during which Mertens secured two breaks in her favor. The second set followed a similar dynamic, with Badosa maintaining her rhythm and ultimately winning 6-1.
In the first set, Badosa’s superiority was evident from the start, and she successfully capitalized on her advantage to take the set. The same energy and strategy were applied in the second set, allowing her to overpower Mertens once again. Badosa, currently ninth in the WTA ranking, will undoubtedly face a tougher challenge in the next round against Rybakina, who holds the seventh position in the WTA ranking. This upcoming match promises to be intense, given the high rankings of both players.