Paula Badosa looked in a lot of trouble early in the match against Jule Niemeier at the 2024 Bad Homburg Open, but she rallied to win in three sets.
It's been an odd year for the Spanish player, who hasn't really played much due to her injuries. Badosa has a chronic back injury that will keep impacting her as long as she plays tennis unless something miraculously changes.
She admitted tearfully that she wouldn't be able to play as long as she had hoped, and it's just been a terrible time for her. Badosa was great when she played at her top level this year, with a few good wins and performances.
Her second-round match in Bad Homburg was pretty good, and she faced a tricky player who loves to play on the grass. Jule Niemeier gave her a lot of trouble early on, winning the opening set 6-4.
It came from playing the key rallies better. She did most of her damage on Badosa's second serve and used her chances. Things changed quite a bit in the second set, which the Spaniard opened with an early break and a 3-0 lead.
Niemeier stabilized after that, but it didn't matter much, as Badosa kept playing well. She won that set 6-2, which shifted momentum on her side, and she never looked back.
The former world no. 2 once again took an early break and added another to take a 4-0 lead, and she was just firing on all cylinders. This outcome isn't that strange for Gemran, who tends to start matches well but struggles to keep the level.
Eventually, Badosa just proved her qualities to win the match 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 for the Spaniard, who moved on to the quarter-final of the 2024 Bad Homburg Open, in which she will play against the winner of the match between Diana Shnaider and Dayana Yastremska.