Merida, Mexico, 1 March 2025 | Vivienne Christie

Daria Saville will contest her first WTA-level semifinal since January 2024 at the Merida Open in Mexico after her quarterfinal opponent Paula Badosa retired with injury.

Saville dropped the first set against the second-seeded Spaniard but led 5-3 in the second before Badosa announced she could not play on.

It sets a meeting with Colombian qualifier Emiliana Arango, who will contest the first WTA semifinal of her career.

https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1895674900255318117

Having qualified for the WTA 500 tournament, Saville has added main-draw wins over Marta Kostyuk and Anhelina Kalinina in her path to a first semifinal since reaching the final four at the 2024 Hobart International.

Ranked world No.148 at the same time last year, the Australian is set to improve at least 10 places on her current world No.121 ranking.

> READ: Joint routes Vekic, setting 15-year first for Aussie women

It adds to a hugely successful week for Australian women on tour.

Earlier in Merida, fellow Australia Maya Joint led Armenia’s Elina Avanesyan by a set before the Armenian recovered to claim a 4-6 6-2 6-0 victory.

The 18-year-old will take heart from another milestone when she makes her top-100 debut in the next rankings release.

Joint, a semifinalist in Hobart earlier this year, stunned fifth seed Donna Vekic en route to the tournament’s final eight.

It marked the first time two Australian players reached the Merida quarterfinals and only the third time that Australians have done so at a 500-level tournament (the other occasions occurring at the 2018 Sydney and 2017 Birmingham).

Ajla Tomljanovic is also enjoying a memorable week, with the Australian advanced to the semifinals of the WTA tournament in Austin.

> READ: Tomljanovic into Austin semifinals anad back in top 100