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SportsMayar Sherif outlasts Paula Badosa in 3h26min marathon to reach Hamburg semifinals
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Egyptian tennis star Mayar Sherif defeated Paula Badosa in a marathon quarterfinal match at the Rothenbaum Hamburg Ladies Open, winning 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 after 3 hours and 26 minutes. The match was notable because just four days earlier, the two had flown together in a private jet from a tournament in Iași, Romania, where Sherif also defeated Badosa after the Spaniard retired. Sherif, the first Egyptian woman to enter a Grand Slam main draw, praised Badosa as a friend and nice person. The article also covers Anna Bondar's success at Rothenbaum, where she reached the semifinals after defeating Alina Charaeva, and notes that top-seeded Oleksandra Oliynykova withdrew due to injury, allowing Elina Avanesyan to advance without a fight.
Source report
Rematch in Hamburg
On Monday, Mayar Sherif (30/Egypt) and Paula Badosa (28/Spain) faced each other in the final of the tennis tournament in Iași, Romania. The match had been postponed by a day due to bad weather. With the score at 6-4, 4-0 in Sherif's favor, former world No. 2 Badosa retired.
Immediately afterward, both flew together to Hamburg in a private jet at the expense of the Romanian organizers. Curiously, just four days later, the two met again in the quarterfinals of the "MSC Hamburg Ladies Open" at Rothenbaum (prize money: €247,674).
A Historic Battle
Badosa played strongly, repeatedly hitting world-class shots. But Sherif fought back. It became one of the longest women's matches in Rothenbaum history. After 3 hours and 26 minutes, Sherif defeated her flight companion for the second time in a week – this time 7-6, 6-7, 6-4.
"I felt like she was the better player today," the Egyptian said fairly. "Maybe I was mentally stronger. I just gave it my all, and she didn't play her best tennis in the crucial moments."
Friendship in the Air
On the two-and-a-half-hour flight to Hamburg, the two women got to know each other better.
"We talked the whole time," Sherif said. "We laughed a lot. We didn't know each other before. Now I know her, and we're friends, I would say," raved the world No. 55 about the ex-girlfriend of tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas (27). "She's such a nice person."
A Pioneer's Journey
Sherif made history in 2020 when the tennis pioneer became the first Egyptian woman to enter the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament at the French Open in Paris. Even soccer star Mo Salah (34/then FC Liverpool) congratulated her. On Saturday, she could become the first Egyptian to reach the final at Rothenbaum.
Bondar with Rothenbaum Magic in the Semifinals
Anna Bondar (29) also has excellent chances of reaching the final. The Hungarian has reached the final four times in two appearances at her favorite tournament. In 2024, she won both singles and doubles. In 2025, the world No. 97 again reached both finals – and lost.
On Friday, Bondar once again showed Rothenbaum magic against Alina Charaeva (24/Armenia), winning 6-1, 7-6. She beamed afterward: "I love coming here. I just love this court and the atmosphere."
This year, however, she can reach at most one final. Reason: She is skipping doubles.
"In the last two years, doubles cost me a bit of energy. Also, this is my last clay court tournament before I switch to hard courts. So I thought it was a good idea to skip doubles this time."
In the semifinals on Saturday, she will face Armenian Elina Avanesyan (23). Because top-seeded Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova (25) surprisingly withdrew due to an abdominal muscle injury, Avanesyan advanced to the last four without a fight.
Source
BILD - SportWestern
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Marathon Match at Rothenbaum: Tennis Star Mayar Sherif Defeats Her Flight Companion Paula Badosa