Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia took an hour and 38 minutes to dispatch compatriot Laura Pigossi in the round of 16 of SP Open on Thursday night (11). Number one head of the championship, the 27th place in the world ranking defeated 193rd by 2 sets at 0, partial 6/1 and 6/4.
The 29-year-old Paulistana will return to the Maria Esther Bueno court-the lead of Villa-Lobos Park, in the west of São Paulo, where the WTA 250 of São Paulo is played-this Friday (12). In the quarterfinals, the Mexican Renata Zarazua, which is 84th in the world and fifth key head of the tournament.
Haddad and Zarazua faced each other twice on the tennis circuit, with two Brazilian wins. In the first, in 2019, in Bogota, Colombia, Bia got the best by 2 sets to 1, partial 4/6, 6/2 and 6/3. On Monday, in 2021, in Macon, the Mexican had to leave for injury while leading the first set 3/0.
This Thursday, Bia Haddad entered the power of her blows, far superior to Pigossi. It was not the most consistent game of the favorite – that had difficulties, especially in the second set, with the highlights of the opponent – but she did enough to go to the Wednesdays and face for the first time a top 100 on SP Open.
“We have known each other since childhood, playing interclub, Paulistas, Brazilians… is a very fighter player. I got more aggressive in the first set, I’m happy to have surpassed me,” said the winner, who, alongside Ana Candiotto, had lost to Pigossi on the double key last Monday (8).
Laura, with Ingrid Martins, is in the semifinals of the pairs. They will face British Emily Appleton on Friday and the Dutch Isabelle Hairy. In the other semifinal, Brazilian Luisa Stefani and Hungarian Timea Babos will measure strength with the American Anna Rogers and Indonesia Janice Tjen.
In the simple key, the only surviving tennis player is really Bia Haddad. This Thursday, Ana Candiotto, 593rd in the world ranking, fell to the Hungarian Panna Udvardi, 118th in the WTA list, the Association of Professional Tennisers. SP Open has three more days of dispute, with the individual final scheduled for Sunday (14).
