Mayar Sherif of Egypt defeated Paula Badosa of Spain 7-6(4), 6-7(2), 6-4 on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open.
The quarterfinal match lasted more than three hours. Sherif won the first set in a tiebreak. Badosa took the second set in a tiebreak. Sherif then secured the deciding set 6-4.
This marked the second meeting between the two players in five days. Sherif had previously won their match in the final of the Iasi Open after Badosa retired due to injury. In Hamburg, both players completed the full three sets.
Sherif has now won 13 matches in a row across different levels of competition. Her recent results include titles at the Contrexeville event and the Iasi Open. She continues her strong form on clay courts.
Badosa competed fully in the match. She forced a second set tiebreak after dropping the opening set. The Spaniard has dealt with fitness issues in recent seasons but pushed Sherif throughout the contest.
Sherif will face the winner of the match between Anhelina Kalinina and Tamara Korpatsch in the semifinals. The tournament is a WTA 250 event played on clay.
Sherif entered the Hamburg event ranked around No. 73. Badosa was ranked near No. 93. Their head to head now stands in Sherif’s favor after the latest result.
The Egyptian player used consistent baseline play and heavy topspin to control key points. Badosa generated strong groundstrokes but was unable to convert enough opportunities in the decisive set.