Top seed Ashleigh Barty has been knocked out of the Volvo Car Open by Paula Badosa with the Spaniard winning 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals on Althea Gibson Club Court.

Badosa hit 19 winners to only 12 unforced errors and broke Barty's serve five times en route to becoming the lowest-ranked player to defeat the Australian since September 2019.

Badosa clutch on serve, overpowers Barty in quarterfinal shocker

The Spaniard set the tone right away, saving a pair of break points in the opening game of the match on her way to a hold. In the fifth game, a forehand error by Barty gave Badosa triple break point and she converted with a backhand winner for a 3-2 lead.

A second break gave the world number 71 a 5-2 advantage and she served for the first set, but Barty staged a mini-rally, breaking and holding to trim the deficit to 5-4. Serving for the set a second time, Badosa dug out of 0-40 with strong serving and an overhead put the set away.

Badosa plays a forehand during her upset of Barty in the Charleston quarterfinals/Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Badosa plays a forehand during her upset of Barty in the Charleston quarterfinals/Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

The world number 71 continued to show off her powerful game and a forehand  into the net by Barty off of her back foot gave Badosa a break to open the second set. The Aussie broke back immediately, but her momentum was short-lived as a swinging volley set up break point for the Spaniard.

After saving that, Barty held and was up 3-2, 15-40 until Badosa served her way out of trouble and broke after the Aussie netted another forehand. Ahead 4-3, the Spaniard held and a game after that, the world number one flew a forehand wide on match point as Badosa recorded the biggest win of her career.

 

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