MADRID — When she boarded her flight to come here, Louisa Chirico was not sure if she would be able to play at the Madrid Open at all. But Chirico, a 19-year-old from Harrison, N.Y., clinched one of the final spots in the qualifying draw for the tournament, one of the four highest-tier events on the WTA Tour.
Five wins and one walkover later, 130th-ranked Chirico is into her first WTA semifinal after beating 39th-ranked Daria Gavrilova, 7-6 (1), 6-2, on Thursday.
“I don’t like to say that I’m surprised, because I go into every match thinking I can win,” Chirico said.