Paula Badosa plays the final of the WTA 125 in Bastad this Saturday against the Swiss Simona Waltert. The Spaniard returns to a title match two years after winning in Washington and seeks decisive points to get closer to the top 100 again.
Paula Badosa returns to a final two years later in Bastad
Paula Badosa is playing in a final again. The Spaniard faces Simona Waltert this Saturday for the title of the Nordea Open in Bastad, a WTA 125 tournament played on clay in Sweden.
The match was scheduled for 2:00 PM, according to the official schedule communicated by the organization. The final brings together a Badosa who is trying to regain positions in the rankings and the fourth seed of the tournament.
Her first final since Washington 2024
Badosa had not reached a final since July 2024, when she won the WTA 500 in Washington.
The path since then has been marked by physical problems and a drop in the world rankings that has forced her to seek matches and points in WTA 125 category tournaments.
Bastad has allowed her to regain consistency. The Spaniard has won four consecutive matches and has reached the final without losing a single set.
Badosa's path to the final
Badosa began the tournament with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Marina Bassols. She then beat Emiliana Arango by the same score.
Her most demanding match came in the quarterfinals. She needed two hours and 28 minutes to defeat Varvara Lepchenko 7-5, 7-6, after squandering several match points.
In the semifinals, she delivered her most dominant performance. She defeated Yulia Putintseva 6-1, 6-2 in just over an hour.
Who is Simona Waltert?
Simona Waltert is ranked 90th in the world and was the fourth seed in Bastad.
The Swiss reached the final after defeating Kaitlin Quevedo 7-5, 6-2. Quevedo had led the first set 5-2, but Waltert reacted, won five consecutive games, and ended up controlling the match.
Waltert has also shown consistency throughout the week. In the quarterfinals, she eliminated the Spaniard Leyre Romero 6-2, 6-1.
What is Badosa playing for in Bastad?
The title would bring Badosa important points to continue her ascent towards the top 100.
Re-entering the top 100 would allow the Spaniard to improve her access to the main draws of major tournaments and avoid some preliminary rounds. The US Open is the immediate goal within that race against the calendar.
Badosa already planned to continue next week in the Iasi tournament, also on clay.
Where to follow the final?
The WTA offers score tracking and access to broadcast options available in each territory from the official tournament page.
The Nordea Open also keeps a link enabled to follow the competition finals live.