Paula Badosa brought flexibility and firepower to her Madrid return.
In her first tournament as new world No. 2, Badosa burst through nine straight games dismissing 2021 Charleston champion Veronika Kudermetova 6-3, 6-0.
More: Simona Halep Finds Fire
Badosa, who reached the Madrid semifinals as a wild card last year, won four of the last six games at love, including throwing down three straight love holds to seal a 65-minute shellacking that sends her into a blockbuster Madrid second round.
The second-seeded Spaniard will face former world No. 1 Simona Halep for the first time with a round of 16 spot on the line. Badosa said she's pumped for the occasion.
"I think my personality was it's always that it's a pleasure and it's a good test," Badosa said. "I think these kind of matches give me—I play high level. I try to give my best there and I like them.
"I think it's a little bit similar when I played the Indian Wells final. In these kind of cases, I like these kind of matches. I know it's gonna be on center court, maybe late-night match.
"I'm really looking forward to these kind of matches, because I really like them and it's the matches that you work for, you know. I will try to give my best, and I hope people can enjoy because I will try to make a good match."
The 2021 Indian Wells champion did not drop serve saving all five break points she faced today.
Two-time Madrid champion Halep fired four aces and saved four of five break points in a 6-2, 6-3 win over Zhang Shuai in her opener.
On the surface, the second rounder pits Halep's smooth movement and accurate counter-punching against Badosa's power and shotmaking. The Spaniard said she expects two-time Grand Slam champion Halep to push her "to the limits."
"It's going to be tough. I think she has a quite good clay court game," Badosa said. "She won Roland Garros, what can I say?
"But I think it's going to be interesting match, because it's going to be quite a clay court match very tactically, and I'm really looking forward to that. Of course she's a great champion. So maybe I'm the favorite or no, I will try to give my best, because for sure she will push me to the limits." Photo credit: Getty