Teenage qualifier Julieta Pareja continued her remarkable run at the Copa Colsanitas Zurich, defeating Leolia Jeanjean in the quarterfinals with a score of 7-6(5), 6-3 on Friday.
Pareja, a 16-year-old American ranked No. 550, is making her debut in a WTA main draw. Her victory makes her the youngest player to advance to a tour-level semifinal since 15-year-old Coco Gauff`s win in Linz in 2019.
After her win, Pareja expressed surprise at her tournament success, saying, “I’m not surprised by my level, I’m surprised by the tournament. 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 powerful groundstrokes and strong forehand provided a compelling contrast to Jeanjean`s varied spins and clever drop shots. The young player also demonstrated mental toughness, overcoming challenges in both sets. In the first set, she recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win in a close tiebreak. In the second set, despite Jeanjean narrowing a 4-0 lead to 4-3, Pareja maintained composure. She finished the match decisively with consecutive forehand winners.
“I kept my focus and concentration to not let her back into the match,” Pareja stated. The Californian, who has Colombian heritage and entered the tournament as a qualifying wild card, has not lost a set in her five matches so far. She now aims to be the first player to reach a WTA final on debut since Noma Noha Akugue in Hamburg 2023.
In the semifinals, Pareja will compete against fellow qualifier Katarzyna Kawa. Kawa, ranked No. 223 from Poland, defeated No. 1 seed Marie Bouzkova in a lengthy three-set match. Kawa`s path to the semifinal has been marked by several marathon matches this week.
Meanwhile, No. 2 seed and defending champion Camila Osorio of Colombia remains in contention for her third Bogota title. She defeated No. 6 seed Tatjana Maria and will face Argentina`s Julia Riera in another semifinal matchup. Riera is also making her mark, reaching her second tour-level semifinal on her WTA main-draw debut.
