By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday June 10, 2022

 

Beatriz Haddad Maia topped No.1-seeded Maria Sakkari to reach her first grass-court semi-final.

Photo Source: Getty

Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia continued her recent mastery of Greece’s Maria Sakkari, the 26-year-old handing the top seed a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 defeat in quarterfinal action on the grass on Friday at the Rothesay Open Nottingham in Nottingham.



The No.7-seed saved seven of nine break points, and converted her sixth break point of the third set to move ahead 5-3.

The World No.48 then closed out the contest in the next game, saving two break points before converting her second match point to claim the victory in two hours and 36 minutes.

“I’m happy now,” Haddad Maia told the crowd. “It’s not easy to play on grass especially in the first week - everybody is getting used to it and improving their game. Today was the same, I was trying to push myself to play every single point. I know Sakkari. She's a very good fighter. She's a good player, she's a Top-10 player. So I tried to focus on my game to improve my game and improve my serve, and I'm really happy with my work today.”

Haddad Maia, who has now won four consecutive matches against the WTA’s Top-5, is into her first career semifinal on grass.

She defeated Sakkari a few months ago at Miami as well, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

She says her mental toughness helped her push through a grueling match with Sakkari.

“If you don't fight, if you don't don't try to push yourself a few points. On a few points I wasn't too aggressive so I was trying to push myself to be more aggressive. And I know that I can play well on grass so I was trying to play my game when I was break points down. That's why I think I was stronger mentally.”

Haddad Maia will face Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic next. Martincova knocked off China’s Zhang Shuai, 6-3, 6-2.

Elsewhere, sixth-seeded Alison Riske topped Harriet Dart, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, and will face Viktorija Golubic in the semis.