PARIS: Beatriz Haddad Maia battled from a set and 3-0 down to defeat Sara Sorribes Tormo in a three-hour 51-minute epic to reach a maiden Grand Slam quarter-final at the French Open on Monday.
The 27-year-old Brazilian left-hander came through 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 7-5 against her 132nd-ranked Spanish opponent on Court Suzanne Lenglen in the longest match of this year’s women’s tournament.
She is the first Brazilian woman in a Slam quarter-final since Maria Bueno in 1968 and will face world number seven Ons Jabeur of Tunisia for a place in the semi-finals.
Haddad Maia, ranked 14, claimed victory on a fourth match point.
She had already saved a match point in her last 32 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova to become the first Brazilian woman in the fourth round in Paris since 1979.
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The 26-year-old Sorribes Tormo had made the last 16 after fourth seed and Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina withdrew from their third round clash with illness.
She looked the fresher of the two on Monday as she took the first set and was a double break up in the second before Haddad Maia rallied.
The Brazilian swept the next six games to level the tie and broke in the opening game of the decider.
Sorribes Tormo broke back immediately but couldn’t capitalise as Haddad Maia reclaimed the advantage in the fifth game.
In a tense finish, Sorribes Tormo saved three match points in the ninth game and broke serve to level at 5-5.
But Haddad Maia broke straight back and this time held her nerve.
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