Paula Badosa of Spain bolstered her start to the season by sealing a spot in the Adelaide International 2 quarterfinals with a 6-1, 7-5 win over lucky loser Kaia Kanepi, here on Wednesday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With her 1-hour and 23-minute victory over seven-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist Kanepi, No.9 seed Badosa has defeated the two Estonians ranked inside the Top 40 back-to-back this week. She ousted Estonian No.1 Anett Kontaveit in the first round.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Former World No.2 Badosa survived 27 winners from big-hitting Kanepi to level their rivalry at one win apiece. Badosa had 22 winners and just eight unforced errors in the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Spaniard eased through the first set before Kanepi made a much tougher test of things in the second set. However, a backhand volley winner in the 4-4 game gave Badosa a breakpoint, which she converted after a wide rally backhand by Kanepi.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kanepi, though, returned to level footing immediately, as Badosa double faulted the next game away when serving for the match. But Badosa used heavy, deep returns to reclaim her break and lead 6-5, where she successfully served out the win on the second time of asking.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Badosa will next meet No.11 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, who defeated another lucky loser, Amanda Anisimova, earlier in the day.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Meanwhile, No.5 seed Daria Kasatkina also moved into the quarterfinals with a win on Wednesday. Kasatkina knocked out former Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-2, 7-5 to clinch her spot in the elite eight.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
World No.8 Kasatkina took an hour and a half to notch the victory and level her head-to-head record against Krejcikova at 1-1. Kasatkina hit six aces and converted four of her seven break points en route to her first win of the 2023 season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kasatkina will take on another Grand Slam champion in the quarterfinals when she faces two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova on Thursday. In their only prior meeting, Kvitova dismissed Kasatkina 6-4, 6-0 in the 2018 Madrid quarterfinals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
World No.8 Kasatkina took an hour and a half to notch the victory and level her head-to-head record against Krejcikova at 1-1. Kasatkina hit six aces and converted four of her seven break points en route to her first win of the 2023 season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n