Appearing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia came back from a set down to upset Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur 3-6 7-6(5) 6-1 at Roland Garros.
After recording the longest WTA match of the year in the fourth round to defeat Sara Sorribes Tormo in three hours and 51 minutes, the world No.14 Haddad stunned favorite Jabeur for the first time in their three career meetings.
The seventh-seeded Jabeur opened the quarterfinal match with a commanding 4-1 lead. Despite Haddad Maia’s efforts to regain ground with a break, it was ultimately Jabeur who maintained the upper hand throughout the first set.
The second set went with serve until the tiebreak. Interestingly, Jabeur had four love holds until 5-5. Despite having two significant break point opportunities at that crucial point, the Tunisian missed them, leading to a sudden shift in momentum.
After taking the tiebreak 7-5, Haddad Maia raced through the third set. Her exceptional performance resulted in a historic achievement, as she eliminated the first African player in the Open Era to reach the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments. The disbelief on her face after securing the win was a testament to the magnitude of her accomplishment.
Haddad Maia has become the first Brazilian woman to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since Maria Bueno (1968 US Open) and first Brazilian woman to reach the Roland Garros semifinals in the Open Era (Bueno reached semifinals here in 1966).
In the French Open semifinals, Haddad Maia will face world No.1 Iga Swiatek, who cruised past Coco Gauff later on Wednesday.
