Teenage qualifier Julieta Pareja`s remarkable journey at the Copa Colsanitas Zurich continues as she defeated Leolia Jeanjean in the quarterfinals with a score of 7-6(5), 6-3.
The 16-year-old American, currently ranked No. 550, is making her debut in a WTA main draw. Her semifinal appearance marks her as the youngest player to reach this stage at a tour-level event since 15-year-old Coco Gauff`s victory in Linz in 2019.
`I`m surprised by how well I`m doing in this tournament,` Pareja admitted after her win. `Reaching the semifinals of a 250 event is incredible! But I believe I`m playing at this level, and I`m proud to show it.`
Pareja`s powerful groundstrokes and dominant forehand, which she effectively used to target all areas of the court, created a captivating contrast with Jeanjean`s diverse spins and clever drop shots. The young player also demonstrated mental toughness by overcoming challenges during the match. In the first set, she recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win a close set in a tiebreak, regaining composure after missing an initial set point at 5-4. She started the second set strongly with a 4-0 lead and maintained her focus even when Jeanjean narrowed the gap to 4-3. In the final game, Pareja confidently secured match point with consecutive forehand winners.
`I maintained my focus and concentration to prevent her from getting back into the match,` Pareja explained. The Californian player, with Colombian heritage, entered the tournament as a qualifying wild card and has not lost a set in her five matches so far. She now aims to be the first player to reach a final in their WTA debut since Noma Noha Akugue at Hamburg 2023.
In the semifinals, Pareja will compete against fellow qualifier Katarzyna Kawa. Kawa, ranked No. 223 from Poland, surprised No. 1 seed Marie Bouzkova with a 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 victory. Kawa`s path to the semifinal has been filled with lengthy matches this week. The 32-year-old entered the main draw by defeating Gergana Topalova 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-4 in nearly three hours, and then Patricia Maria Tig 7-5, 6-7(2), 7-6(6) in over four hours. She also saved a match point in the second round against Laura Pigossi, winning 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 in almost three hours. In total, Kawa has spent nearly 14 hours on the court throughout her five matches.
Kawa has reached her second career tour-level semifinal, her first since her WTA main-draw debut at Jurmala in 2019.
Meanwhile, No. 2 seed and defending champion Camila Osorio kept her hopes alive for a third home title by defeating No. 6 seed Tatjana Maria 6-1, 6-3. The Colombian player will now face Julia Riera of Argentina in an all-South American semifinal. Riera defeated qualifier Lea Boskovic 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 to reach her second tour-level semifinal, her first since Rabat 2023, also in her WTA main-draw debut.
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth