In front of her home crowd at the US Open, No.13 seed Emma Navarro booked her place in the first Grand Slam semifinal of her career, coming from 5-1 down in the second set against No.26 Paula Badosa for a 6-2, 7-5 win.

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The result guarantees Navarro, 23, a Top 10 debut next week. Last September, the American was ranked No.61 but has enjoyed a breakthrough season including her first Hologic WTA Tour title in Hobart in January.

Both players were previous major quarterfinalists seeking to break new ground. Badosa had taken over three years to return to this stage following her first run to the last eight of a Slam at Roland Garros 2021. By contrast, Navarro backed up her major quarterfinal debut at Wimbledon this year by immediately repeating the feat at Flushing Meadows.

Navarro "sees the future" to win 24 of last 28 points: In their only previous meeting, Badosa had come from a set and 2-0 down to defeat Navarro 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of Rome this May. Their rematch played out remarkably similarly for most of its 72-minute running time.

Navarro played a cool, clean first set to dominate an edgy Badosa, who contributed 16 unforced errors in it. The Spaniard lost her opening service game with consecutive double faults, and committed two in a row again in the final game of the set.

As in Rome, Badosa rebounded in the second set, storming out to a 5-1 lead as her backhand began to find its mark. But a solid hold for Navarro in the next game was the start of a plot twist -- one that few in Arthur Ashe saw coming, except Navarro herself.

"After I got it back to 5-2, I had a little bit of inkling that it might be two sets," she said in her on-court interview. "I just wanted to stay really tough and stick in there. I can't see the future, but maybe today I could a little bit!"

The final stretch of the match went by in a flash. Navarro rediscovered the all-court variety of the first set, breaking Badosa for 5-3 with a return winner then deploying slices, volleys and angles to destabilize her game. In response, Badosa's level plummeted again. Serving at 5-4, she struck another pair of consecutive double faults; serving at 5-6, she shanked a forehand into the ground before the net to open the game.

Afterwards, Navarro expanded on her moment of clairvoyancy to reporters.

"Even though she was up 5-1, 5-2 after that game, I felt like she wasn't totally confident in her ability to close out that set," she said. "So I felt if I could push back a little bit and make her think a little bit on her service game, maybe I could sneak my way back in there.

"I think sometimes you're out in the court, and you can kind of picture yourself playing a third set. When I was out there, I didn't picture myself playing a third set. I felt like I could come back and do it in two."

Shot of the match: The range of Navarro's repertoire was impressive throughout, but one stroke stood out. Her forehand drop shot, struck almost casually with a swashbuckling confidence. It bookended the match -- Navarro won the first point with one, and converted match point with another.

In between, it also sealed her only tough hold of the first set -- after saving two break points, a quick swish of the racquet brought her to 5-2 and snuffed out any hope of Badosa making a comeback in that set.

Next up: Either No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka or No.7 seed Zheng Qinwen -- both familiar opponents for Navarro this year. In the fourth round of Indian Wells, Navarro upset Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 for her first career Top 5 win, though Sabalenka took a 6-2, 6-3 revenge at the same stage of Roland Garros. In the third round of the Paris Olympic Games, Navarro held match point on eventual gold medalist Zheng before falling 6-7(7), 7-6(4), 6-1.