Rome Italy) – Beatriz Haddad Maia’s debut at the WTA 1000 in Rome was a comeback victory, in a game that also demanded a lot from the physical side, with the court being heavier after a lot of rain this Thursday in the Italian capital. The number 1 in Brazil and 13th in the world surpassed the Chinese Xinyu Wang, 42nd in the ranking, this Thursday, with splits of 4/6, 6/3 and 6/4 in 2h15 of play.
This was the Bia’s fourth victory in five games against Wang and it is recovering from the defeat suffered by the Chinese in Doha, in February. Coming from a good campaign to the quarter-finals in Madrid in recent weeks, the 27-year-old from São Paulo has 215 points to defend in Rome, as she also reached the quarter-finals last year.
Seeded 12th in Italy, Bia entered directly into the second round. And the victory in the debut already puts it in the third phase. Her rival next Saturday will be North American Madison Keys, 16th in the world and semi-finalist in Madrid. The Brazilian won her only previous duel against Keys, in the campaign for the Elite Trophy title in China. Keys beat Colombian Camila Osorio, ranked 64th, by 6/0, 4/6 and 6/3.
Test of patience for Bia with the very heavy court
In a round that was greatly hampered by rain, the conditions on the clay courts in Rome were quite slow and heavy. As a result, the serve was not such a determining factor in determining points and the players also needed patience during exchanges. On different occasions, those who tried to put a little more force on the ball, looking for winners, ended up making mistakes. This disrupted Bia’s plans in the first set, but she managed to react from the second half onwards, working the points better and using the shorts well.
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The match started with two long games, but with Wang prevailing in the most important points. The Chinese managed an early break and then reversed a 15-40 to win 2/0. After that, her service was not threatened in the first set until the moment she served to close, when she was leading by 5/4 and Bia was having difficulty getting the ball out of her rival’s waistline. The Brazilian reached break point after winning a battle at the net, but the Chinese sustained a long rally to save herself and defined the dispute with her serve.
Brazilian was behind in the second set
Twice in the second set, Wang had a lead break, leading by 1/0 and 3/2. But in both cases, Bia managed to score an immediate draw. Increasingly consistent in deep rallies, the São Paulo native managed to prevail at the end of the second set, winning four games in a row. The definitive break to win the partial came with a return winner in the eighth game.
Right at the beginning of the third set, Bia broke again and won 3/1. She went through a moment of instability on her serve, in a game with few first serves on the court, allowing her rival to seek a 3/3 draw. However, she regained the advantage soon after and confirmed a zero game to open 5/3. Although she was two points away from victory on her opponent’s serve, the classification would only be consolidated in the following game.
