Sara Sorribes Tormo Advances to Fourth Round of French Open Via Walkover

Posted on June 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Sara Sorribes Tormo has advanced to the Round of 16 at the French Open… without breaking a sweat.

World No.4 Elena Rybakina withdrew from Roland Garros with an upper respiratory illness on Saturday just before she was scheduled to take the court for her third-round match against the 26-year-old tennis player.

Rybakina told reporters she began feeling ill after her second-round match. She hoped to be able to play but struggled to sustain 10-minutes of work on the court.

“I saw the doctor and they said that actually it’s all a virus here in Paris,” Rybakina said. “I guess with my allergy, immune system just went down and I picked up something. As I said, I was not sleeping well for two days. I had fever, headache. I think you can hear [my voice] also.

“So, yeah, it’s difficult to perform and obviously to run and even breathe. So I think that was the only right decision I could make.”

With Rybakina’s withdrawal, Sorribes Tormo advances via walkover and is into her first Fourth Round at a Grand Slam.

She’ll next face 14th-seed Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Sorribes Tormo’s previous best showing was a third round appearance at the 2021 US Open.

Beatriz Haddad Maia & Victoria Azarenka Claim Women’s Doubles Title at Madrid Open

Posted on May 7, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Beatriz Haddad Maia is celebrating a winning debut…

In their maiden tournament as a team, the 26-year-old Brazilian tennis player and Victoria Azarenka defeated top seeds Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-4 on Sunday to capture the women’s doubles title at the Mutua Madrid Open.

The victory capped off a stellar week for the unseeded duo, who toppled two of the Top 3 seeds to win their first tournament together.

Madrid is Haddad Maia’s fifth career doubles title and the biggest title of her career. She was previously a two-time runner-up at the WTA 1000 level, including at Indian Wells this spring with Laura Siegemund.

The title is Azarenka’s 10th doubles title and fifth at the WTA 1000 level. It is her biggest win on the doubles court since teaming with Ashleigh Barty to win Rome in 2019.

In their team debut at Madrid, Azarenka and Haddad Maia ousted No.3 seeds and Stuttgart champions Desirae Krawczyk and Demis Schuurs in their opening round and went to defeat Paula Badosa/Bethanie Mattek Sands and Leylah Fernandez/Taylor Townsend en route to the final.

Facing down No.1 seeds Gauff and Pegula, who were bidding to win their third title of the season after Doha and Miami, Azarenka and Haddad Maia raced away in the opening to pocket it 6-1. The American team bounced back to lead 4-2 in the second set but Azarenka and Haddad Maia roared back to win the last four games of the match.

After breaking Pegula’s serve to close level the set at 4-4, the eventual champions closed out the win by dominating play at the net and breaking Gauff’s serve in the final game.

Beatriz Haddad Maia Defeats Karolina Pliskova to Reach First-Ever WTA Masters Final

Posted on August 13, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Beatriz Haddad Maia is one win away from her first-ever WTA 1000 title.

The 26-year-old Brazilian professional tennis player beat Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 7-6 (9) in the late semifinal at the National Bank Open to reach a WTA Masters event final for the first time ever.

She becomes the first Brazilian woman to reach a WTA Masters event final.

Haddad Maia was dominant for most of the first set, quickly building a 5-1 lead. Plishkova started to build some momentum, however, winning three consecutive games.

Haddad Maia’s 184 km/h serve on set point left Plishkova off-footed and the Czech player put her return into the net.

Plishkova had a strong start to the second set, building a 4-1 lead. But the 26-year-old Brazilian dug deep, tying the set 5-5.

After they exchanged games, the second set went to tiebreak.

Haddad Maia led the tiebreak 8-7 for second match point when Pliskova double faulted, angrily swatting away the Brazilian’s return.

Haddad Maia will face Simona Halep in the women’s final at Sobeys Stadium.

The WTA event was hard on seeded players with the top six all being eliminated before the quarterfinals. Haddad Maia was responsible for three of those upsets, taking down 13th seeded Leylah Fernandez, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, and 14th seeded Pliskova.

Beatriz Haddad Maia Outlasts Belinda Bencic to Reach National Bank Open Semifinals

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Beatriz Haddad Maia continues her winning ways…

The 26-year-old Brazilian tennis player, who defeated top-ranked Iga Swiatek to reach the National Bank Open quarterfinals, has pulled off another three-set upset.

Haddad Maia reached the semifinals on Friday after overcoming No.12 seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Haddad Maia, ranked a career-high World No.24, took 2 hours and 11 minutes to battle past 2015 National Bank Open champion Bencic.

This week, Haddad Maia has become the first Brazilian to reach the quarterfinals, and now the semifinals, of a WTA 1000 tournament.

Haddad Maia came into the quarterfinals with her career-best win by ranking behind her, having toppled World No.1 Swiatek in the previous round. Haddad Maia became the first Brazilian woman to beat a current No.1 player with her upset of Swiatek.

However, Bencic had a history of success against Haddad Maia coming into Friday’s clash. Not only had Bencic defeated the Brazilian in their only tour-level match earlier this year in Sydney, she also beat Haddad Maia en route to her 2013 Junior Roland Garros title.

But the third time proved to be the charm for Haddad Maia, who garnered the upset to continue her breakthrough season.

Haddad Maia claimed her first two WTA singles titles earlier this year, in back-to-back weeks on the grass courts of Nottingham and Birmingham.

“It’s nice because Brazil is huge, so we have Brazilians everywhere. So I always feel the energy. Someone is always screaming, ‘Vamos Beatriz.’ And today I saw a lot of Brazilian flags. And I feel very proud of us,” said Haddad Maia of her win.

Haddad Maia is into her fifth semifinal at tour-level this season. Only Swiatek (8) and Simona Halep (7) have reached more semifinals on the WTA Tour in 2022.

For her semifinal opponent, Haddad Maia awaits the winner of the late quarterfinal between former World No.1 Karolina Pliskova and rising teenager Zheng Qinwen.

Beatriz Haddad Maia Defeats Iga Swiatek to Notch First Win vs. Top-Ranked Player

Posted on August 11, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Beatriz Haddad Maia has taken down the World No. 1…

The 26-year-old Brazilian tennis player defeated top-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in windy conditions on Thursday to reach the National Bank Open quarterfinals.

Haddad Maia beat a top-ranked player for the first time to become the first Brazilian woman to advance to the quarterfinal of a WTA 1000 tournament.

A back-to-back champion on the grass in Nottingham and Birmingham, she came to Toronto at a career-high 24th in the world.

“I had a lot of tough moments in my career,” Haddad Maia said. “I have already had four surgeries and I’m only 26 years old. So when I have special moments I try to enjoy. ”

Swiatek had nine double faults to one for Haddad Maia.

“Right now it’s hard to say if it was more her game or the wind that really messed up my first set,” Swiatek said. “I think she just used the conditions better than me. When she was playing with the wind she was playing really strong balls and sometimes I was late for them.”

Haddad Maia will face Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Bencic followed her victory over Serena Williams on Wednesday night by beating eighth-seeded Garbine Muguruza of Spain 6-1, 6-3 in the late match.

Beatriz Haddad Maia Wins Birmingham Classic Title

Posted on June 19, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Beatriz Haddad Maia now has back-to-back WTA titles…

The 26-year-old Brazilian tennis player secured back-to-back WTA titles on Sunday after Chinese opponent Shuai Zhang retired with an injury trailing 5-4 in the first set of the Birmingham Classic final.

Haddad Maia hadn’t won a senior title before arriving in England to play the Nottingham Open last week. Now she has two in her collection, both coming on grass courts.

The unseeded Haddad Maia and the eighth-seeded Zhang went into the final having won semifinal matches on Sunday morning — against second-seeded Simona Halep and Sorana Cirstea, respectively — after rain washed out the whole of Saturday.

Haddad Maia, who lost the first two games of the final, was preparing to serve for the first set when Zhang — who had consulted with medical staff during the changeover — walked slowly to the net and hugged her opponent. It was not immediately apparent what the injury was.

The two players teamed up to win the doubles title in Nottingham last week.

Beatriz Haddad Maia Outlasts Alison Riske in Rothesay Open Final to Claim First WTA Tour Title

Posted on June 12, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a memorable first for Beatriz Haddad Maia.

The 26-year-old Brazilian tennis player defeated USA’s Alison Riske 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in the Rothesay Open final to claim her first WTA Tour singles title.

Haddad Maia, currently ranked at a career-high World No.48, fought back from an early break down in the third set before prevailing after 2 hours and 18 minutes in her first meeting with Riske.

She improves to 1-1 in WTA singles finals, having previously finished as runner-up to Jelena Ostapenko at 2017 Seoul. Riske is now 3-10 in WTA singles finals.

In her Nottingham tournament debut, Haddad Maia battled through the field to collect the first WTA singles title by a Brazilian since Teliana Pereira triumphed at Florianopolis 2015.

Haddad Maia had already been posting strong results in recent weeks. She won her first WTA 125 title in Saint-Malo in May, then followed that up with a run to the WTA 125 Paris final the following week, helping her hit a new peak in the rankings.

Simply by making the Nottingham final, Haddad Maia became the first Brazilian woman to reach a grass-court singles final since Maria Bueno finished runner-up to Margaret Court at Chestnut Hill in 1968.

Earlier in the week, Haddad Maia had knocked top seed Maria Sakkari out in the quarterfinals, which was the left-hander’s fifth consecutive win in her last five meetings against Top 5 players.

Haddad Maia claimed the only break of the first set to lead 2-1, and she took the one-set lead with her second ace of the day. But the second set was all Riske, as the American charged to a 5-0 lead, then came back from 0-40 down to tie up the final.

In the third set, errors by Haddad Maia gave Riske an early break at 2-1, but heavy hitting by the Brazilian allowed her to immediately get back on serve. At 4-3, a terrific passing winner on the sideline gave Haddad Maia double break point, and she claimed that game after a double fault by Riske.

Serving for the championship at 5-3, Haddad Maia coolly wrapped up the match, drawing two return miscues in a row from Riske to complete the last game and grab the crown.

Haddad Maia’s run puts her in a strong position to be seeded at Wimbledon, as she’s projected to rise to a career-best No. 32.

Beatriz Haddad Maia Wins L’ Open 35 de Saint-Malo Title

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Beatriz Haddad Maia is celebrating a special win…

The 25-year-old Brazilian tennis player defeated Anna Blinkova 7-6 (3), 6-3 on Sunday to claim the L’ Open 35 de Saint-Malo title.

In the process, Haddad Maia secured the biggest singles title of her career, and she only dropped one set in the whole competition in the process.

The world No. 65 and Blinkova both broke twice in a lengthy opening set, with Haddad Maia claiming seven of the last eight points in the tiebreak.

Haddad Maia then went 2-0 up in the second, before Blinkova pulled back to 3-2. However, Blinkova fired wide on a break point at 4-3, allowing Haddad Maia to serve for the title.

“I’m very happy, for sure,” Haddad Maia said. “It’s very special to be back here in Saint-Malo. I was here a few years ago, and I was very proud to come back.

“Most of [this week’s] matches I had to fight more, to be humble, to work very hard and have discipline. So I’m very happy with myself because of that.”

Beatriz Haddad Maia Defeats Sloane Stephens to Reach Mexican Open Quarterfinals

Posted on February 28, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a big take down byBeatriz Haddad Maia…

The 22-year-old Brazilian tennis player, currently ranked No. 195 in the world, has defeated top seed Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals at the Mexican Open.

It’s Haddad Maia’s first victory in seven career matches against players ranked in the top 10.

The fourth-ranked Stephens, the 2017 U.S. Open champion, was making her first appearance in the event since winning the 2016 title.

“It was just a tough match, obviously she played well,” Stephens said. “A tough day. But I’m not too sad about it. I’m just going to go back and work some more, practice some more and get ready for Indian Wells.”

Haddad Maia will face Wang Yafan in the quarterfinals. Wang led Monica Puig4-1 when Puig retired because of an injury.

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