Paula Badosa Beats Daria Kasatkina in 16 Points After 9-Minute U.S. Open Restart

Q: How will Paula Badosa's grueling mental battle during a nine-hour rain delay impact her upcoming blockbuster match against Coco Gauff?

It could cut both ways, but the bigger immediate risk for Paula Badosa is physical and emotional depletion rather than lost confidence. Badosa said she barely slept, replayed the missed match points repeatedly and felt as if she had already played “a five-set match.” She also described a compromised warm-up, little appetite and extreme tension when she returned to finish the match. Against Coco Gauff, that matters because Gauff arrives fresher, already through her opener under the roof and in strong hard-court form. Still, the way Badosa closed out Kasatkina also suggests the delay may harden her mentally rather than damage her. She survived multiple more match points after the restart and finally ended it with a 114 mph ace, a sign that she could still trust her biggest shots under pressure. That resilience fits her broader comeback season after injuries and a ranking slide. The matchup itself gives Badosa reason to believe. She has a 5-3 head-to-head edge over Gauff and beat her in Berlin earlier this summer. Badosa herself said she enjoys big stadiums and big opponents, and that both players know each other’s patterns well. So the delay is most likely to affect her in the opening phase against Gauff: energy, rhythm and recovery could be an issue, especially if rallies get long. But if Badosa starts cleanly and the match becomes a mental contest, the ordeal with Kasatkina may actually leave her better equipped to handle the pressure.

Q: Did a bizarre mid-rally bird interruption actually help Daniil Medvedev refocus and sweep his match in straight sets?

Probably not — there is no clear evidence the bird interruption helped Daniil Medvedev refocus, even if he did go on to win comfortably in straight sets. The available reporting shows Medvedev was annoyed, not energized, by the incident. During a second-set rally against Sebastian Gorzny, two birds landed on the net tape and chair umpire Timo Janzen eventually stopped the point only after Medvedev believed he had hit a winner. Medvedev called it “the most ridiculous decision” he had seen and said afterward he expected the point to be stopped immediately, not after roughly 45 seconds of play. What followed suggests professionalism more than a turning point. Medvedev had already been in control before the interruption, having taken the first set 6-1 and led 4-1 in the second when the birds appeared. He finished the match 6-1, 6-3, 7-5, hit 14 aces, and was never down by more than one game. Reports described the pause as brief and said the match “resumed normally.” Medvedev himself did not frame the episode as useful. His post-match comments emphasized that he was unhappy with the call but accepted it and moved on. He later said, “It’s OK. It happens.” So the stronger reading is that the bizarre moment did not noticeably help him refocus; it momentarily frustrated him, and he simply maintained a high level in a match he was already controlling.

Q: Why did the player who agonized all night over a rain delay easily defeat the opponent who slept perfectly soundly?

Paula Badosa won because the overnight anguish did not erase the advantage she had already built, and when play resumed she handled the key points better than Daria Kasatkina. Before rain stopped the match, Badosa was already in command at 6-1, 5-4 and deuce, serving for the win. That meant Kasatkina still had to reverse both the scoreline and the momentum. Even though Badosa said she barely slept and replayed the missed match points in her head, she returned with enough attacking tennis to keep creating chances. The resumed match was short, but not effortless. Reports from court said Badosa needed 16 points and several more match points before finally finishing it, ultimately closing with a big ace. That suggests the difference was not who slept better, but who executed better in the decisive moments after the delay. Badosa herself described it as an extreme mental test, and her recent comeback from injuries adds context. She had already spent months fighting back from a ranking drop outside the top 100, and that experience appears to have helped her manage the restart. Kasatkina took the calmer approach overnight and said she did not overthink it, but calm sleep alone could not overcome Badosa’s superior position and stronger play when the match restarted. So the simple answer is that Badosa’s anxiety was real, but her tennis at the restart was still better, and she was only a few points from victory to begin with.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 3

Paula Badosa closed out Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-4 in a match that resumed Wednesday for just 16 points after an overnight rain suspension.
Rain disrupted play for a fourth straight day, leaving the pair stopped Tuesday night at 6-1, 5-4 deuce with Badosa having already missed two match points.
Badosa said she barely slept and replayed the finish repeatedly, while Kasatkina said she stayed calm and slept quickly before the unusual restart.
The 28-year-old Spaniard, ranked No. 87 after dropping as low as No. 141 earlier this year amid back issues, finally sealed the win with a 114 mph ace.
Badosa now advances to face No. 4 seed Coco Gauff, against whom she holds a 5-3 head-to-head edge, as the rain-hit tournament tries to catch up on scheduling.