On WTA debut, 16-year-old Pareja becomes youngest semifinalist since Gauff

Teenage qualifier Julieta Pareja’s dream run at the Copa Colsanitas Zurich continued on Friday with a 7-6(5), 6-3 quarterfinal defeat of Leolia Jeanjean.

The 16-year-old American, who is ranked No. 550 and playing the first WTA main draw of her career, became the youngest player to reach a tour-level semifinal since a 15-year-old Coco Gauff won Linz in 2019.

Bogota: Draws | Scores | Order of play

“I’m not surprised by my level, I’m surprised by the tournament,” said Pareja afterwards. “A 250 and I’m in the semifinals — wow! But I think my level is there and I’m proud to be showing it.”

Pareja’s rock-solid groundstrokes and a forehand that she used to fire weapons to all corners of the court made for an absorbing stylistic contrast with No. 116-ranked Jeanjean’s variety of spins and canny drop shots. The teenager also showed her mettle in navigating scoreboard challenges. In the opener, she came from 3-1 down to edge a tightly contested set in the tiebreak, recovering after missing her first set point at 5-4. In the second, she raced out to a 4-0 lead, but held her nerve even after Jeanjean pegged her back to 4-3. In the final game, Pareja did not hold back, finding consecutive forehand winners to bring up match point.

“I kept my focus and concentration to not let her back into the match,” said Pareja. The Californian, who has Colombian heritage, started the tournament as a qualifying wild card, and is yet to drop a set in five matches. She will next bid to become the first player to reach the final on her WTA debut since Noma Noha Akugue at Hamburg 2023.

Pareja will face fellow qualifier Katarzyna Kawa in the last four after the No. 223-ranked Pole upset No. 1 seed Marie Bouzkova 5-7, 6-1, 7-5. The 2-hour, 44-minute battle was the latest in a series of marathons this week for Kawa. The 32-year-old made the main draw by beating Gergana Topalova 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-4 in 2 hours and 57 minutes, then Patricia Maria Tig 7-5, 6-7(2), 7-6(6) in 4 hours and 13 minutes. She also saved a match point in the second round en route to defeating Laura Pigossi 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 in 2 hours and 47 minutes. In total, Kawa has spent 13 hours and 45 minutes on court across five matches.

Kawa advanced to her second career tour-level semifinal, and first since reaching the 2019 Jurmala final on her own WTA main-draw debut.

Meanwhile, No. 2 seed and defending champion Camila Osorio kept her hopes for a third trophy on home soil alive with a 6-1, 6-3 defeat of No. 6 seed Tatjana Maria, also a two-time winner in Bogota. The Colombian will face Argentina’s Julia Riera, who defeated qualifier Lea Boskovic 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, in an all-South American semifinal. Riera advanced to her second tour-level semifinal, and first since reaching the last four of Rabat 2023 on her WTA main-draw debut.