By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday June 14, 2022
Playing at a career-high ranking of 32, Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia continues to surge on the grass.
Photo Source WTA TV
Refuse to lose. Those three words embody Brazils’ Beatriz Haddad Maia’s last ten days as the 26-year-old has rifled through six consecutive opponents on grass, claiming her maiden title along the way.
On Sunday she became the first woman from Brazil to win a title on grass in over 50 years.
On Monday she climbed to a new career-high ranking of 32. And, on Tuesday she celebrated with a dazzling victory over two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, 7-6(4), 6-2.
In a battle of powerhouse southpaws it was the Brazilian who took the victory, reeling off the final four games of the contest to set a second-round contest with Poland’s Magdalena Frech.
Haddad Maia rallied from 5-3 down in the opening set to force a tiebreak, then won four of the final five points to stake herself to a one set lead. She then converted two of three break points against Kvitova and didn’t face a single break point in the second set.
Haddad Maia is now 32-12 across all levels in 2022. After dropping her first five matches against Top-50 talent, she has now won five of her last seven.
Kvitova has now lost six of seven since reaching the quarterfinals at Miami. The two-time Wimbledon champion is 10-13 on the season.
Top-Seeded Ostapenka Powers Through
Jelena Ostapenko took out Canada’s Rebecca Marino in three sets, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, to set a second-rounder with Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.
The Latvian improves to 30-14 lifetime on grass with her win.
In other action, American Caty McNally took out fourth-seeded Elise Mertens, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, while Great Britain’s Katie Boulter toppled seventh-seeded American Alison Riske, 6-4, 6-3.