Beatriz Haddad Maia Defeats Karolina Pliskova to Reach First-Ever WTA Masters Final

Posted on August 13, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Beatriz Haddad Maia is one win away from her first-ever WTA 1000 title.

The 26-year-old Brazilian professional tennis player beat Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 7-6 (9) in the late semifinal at the National Bank Open to reach a WTA Masters event final for the first time ever.

She becomes the first Brazilian woman to reach a WTA Masters event final.

Haddad Maia was dominant for most of the first set, quickly building a 5-1 lead. Plishkova started to build some momentum, however, winning three consecutive games.

Haddad Maia’s 184 km/h serve on set point left Plishkova off-footed and the Czech player put her return into the net.

Plishkova had a strong start to the second set, building a 4-1 lead. But the 26-year-old Brazilian dug deep, tying the set 5-5.

After they exchanged games, the second set went to tiebreak.

Haddad Maia led the tiebreak 8-7 for second match point when Pliskova double faulted, angrily swatting away the Brazilian’s return.

Haddad Maia will face Simona Halep in the women’s final at Sobeys Stadium.

The WTA event was hard on seeded players with the top six all being eliminated before the quarterfinals. Haddad Maia was responsible for three of those upsets, taking down 13th seeded Leylah Fernandez, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, and 14th seeded Pliskova.

Beatriz Haddad Maia Outlasts Belinda Bencic to Reach National Bank Open Semifinals

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Beatriz Haddad Maia continues her winning ways…

The 26-year-old Brazilian tennis player, who defeated top-ranked Iga Swiatek to reach the National Bank Open quarterfinals, has pulled off another three-set upset.

Haddad Maia reached the semifinals on Friday after overcoming No.12 seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Haddad Maia, ranked a career-high World No.24, took 2 hours and 11 minutes to battle past 2015 National Bank Open champion Bencic.

This week, Haddad Maia has become the first Brazilian to reach the quarterfinals, and now the semifinals, of a WTA 1000 tournament.

Haddad Maia came into the quarterfinals with her career-best win by ranking behind her, having toppled World No.1 Swiatek in the previous round. Haddad Maia became the first Brazilian woman to beat a current No.1 player with her upset of Swiatek.

However, Bencic had a history of success against Haddad Maia coming into Friday’s clash. Not only had Bencic defeated the Brazilian in their only tour-level match earlier this year in Sydney, she also beat Haddad Maia en route to her 2013 Junior Roland Garros title.

But the third time proved to be the charm for Haddad Maia, who garnered the upset to continue her breakthrough season.

Haddad Maia claimed her first two WTA singles titles earlier this year, in back-to-back weeks on the grass courts of Nottingham and Birmingham.

“It’s nice because Brazil is huge, so we have Brazilians everywhere. So I always feel the energy. Someone is always screaming, ‘Vamos Beatriz.’ And today I saw a lot of Brazilian flags. And I feel very proud of us,” said Haddad Maia of her win.

Haddad Maia is into her fifth semifinal at tour-level this season. Only Swiatek (8) and Simona Halep (7) have reached more semifinals on the WTA Tour in 2022.

For her semifinal opponent, Haddad Maia awaits the winner of the late quarterfinal between former World No.1 Karolina Pliskova and rising teenager Zheng Qinwen.

Garbine Muguruza Defeats Paula Badosa to Reach First-Ever WTA Finals Title Match

Posted on November 16, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a special first for Garbine Muguruza…

The 28-year-old Spanish professional tennis player dominated compatriot Paula Badosa in a 6-3, 6-3 victory on Tuesday and will now play for the WTA Finals title for the first time in her career.

The sixth-seeded Muguruza, who lost in the semifinals in 2015, is the first Spaniard to reach the singles final since 1993, when Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario was runner-up to Steffi Graff.

“I’m very happy with my performance, it was the best match I played here in Guadalajara,” Muguruza said. “It’s the first time we encountered each other. I’m very proud of Paula, she started the year back in the rankings and made all the way to the top 10.”

Muguruza now has a 13-2 record on Mexican soil, where she won back-to-back titles in Monterrey in 2018 and ’19.

Muguruza awaits the winner of eighth-seeded Anett Kontaveit and fourth-seeded Maria Sakkari, who play the other semifinal match later at the Centro Panamericano de Tenis in Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara.

Muguruza started the season-ending tournament with a loss to third-seeded Karolina Pliskova but bounced back with victories over second-seeded Barbora Krejcikova, Kontaveit and Badosa.

“I don’t feel like a favorite, maybe on paper or for the TV, but I don’t feel like it,” she said. “I started here losing and I thought that I could be eliminated, so for me to say that I feel like a favorite for the final is complicated.”

Muguruza reached 41 victories this season, her most in a single campaign since 2017 when she finished with 45.

Muguruza broke the seventh-seeded Badosa in the third game and then held to win the first set in 35 minutes.

In the second set, Muguruza had a break in the second game, saved a couple of break points in the third and never looked back.

Badosa, who turned 24 on Monday, was the youngest player in the semifinals. The Spaniard finished a breakthrough season that saw her crack the top 10 for the first time in her career.

“It was a tough day, I did not feel myself and she played good, all the credits go to her,” said Badosa, who earlier in the tournament said that Muguruza was her inspiration. “I don’t really know what happened today. I’m sad that I could not compete.”

The WTA Finals are being played in Guadalajara for this year only, with the event scheduled to return in 2022 to Shenzhen, China.

Caroline Garcia Defeats No. 1 Seed Karolina Pliskova to Win Tianjin Open Title

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Caroline Garcia is a big winner in China again…

The 24-year-old Spanish-French tennis player outlasted Karolina Pliskova 7-6(7), 6-3 to win the Tianjin Open and earn her first WTA singles title of the season.

After both players held their serves in a tight first set, Garcia, ranked No. 16 in the world, fought from 1-5 down to edge the decisive tiebreak 9-7.

Garcia then won the first five games of the second set before sealing the win over No. 1 seed Pliskova on her serve, winning the match in one hour, 47 minutes.

It’s Garcia’s first WTA title since lifting the Beijing Open in October 2017.

“It’s very nice for me to win a title again, because the emotion and the feeling after the match point is something very special and very difficult to describe,” Garcia told reporters after the match.

“That’s what you’re working on all year long to get, this trophy in your hand and those emotions.”

Caroline Garcia Advances to Seminals at the WTA Finals

Posted on October 28, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Caroline Garcia is making the most of her first WTA Finals appearance…

In her WTA Finals debut, the 26-year-old part-Spanish player advanced to the semifinals on Friday when top-ranked Simona Halep lost to Elina Svitolina.

Garcia defeated Caroline Wozniacki 0-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the early Red Group match, giving both 2-1 records. Wozniacki had already advanced, but Garcia had to wait. When Svitolina beat Halep 6-3, 6-4 later in the day, the top-ranked Romanian was eliminated and Garcia was through as the group winner.

In the semifinals, Garcia will play Venus Williams and Wozniacki will face Karolina Pliskova.

Garcia, playing at a career-high No. 8 ranking after winning back-to-back titles in Wuhan and Beijing, is the only one of the eight players who didn’t have a chance to end the season with the top ranking.

“It was kind of weird, actually, to be here,” Garcia said. “I qualified last minute, two weeks before. I really wanted to keep improving, play every single match and get experience. That’s why I think I won these two matches.

Garbine Muguruza Advances to Semifinals at the Pan Pacific Open

Posted on September 23, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Garbine Muguruza is two wins away from her next WTA title…

The 23-year-old Spanish-Venezuelan tennis player and Wimbledon champion advanced to the semifinals of the Pan Pacific Open by beating Caroline Garcia 6-2, 6-4 Friday.

Garbine Muguruza

A rare double-fault by the top-seede Muguruza allowed Garcia to pull even at 3-3 in the second set, but she broke back in the next game.

Playing in her first tournament since earning the No. 1 ranking, Muguruza will next face Caroline Wozniacki.

The former top-ranked player advanced when Dominika Cibulkova was forced to retire with a right thigh injury while trailing 3-6, 7-6 (5), 3-1.

Also, Angelique Kerber upset second-seeded Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (5), 7-5. The seventh-seeded Kerber took advantage of several unforced errors by the Czech player and won with a powerful cross-court shot on her fifth match point.

Kerber will face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semifinals. The Russian beat Barbora Strycova 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.

Garbine Muguruza Wins Her First Western & Southern Open Title

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Garbine Muguruza has claimed her first title in the United States…

The 23-year-old Spanish-Venezuelan tennis player added another trophy in her breakthrough summer, beating Simona Halep on Sunday for her first Western & Southern Open title.

Muguruza’s 6-1, 6-0 win in only 56 minutes extended her streak of playing deep into tournaments and denied Halep a chance to claim the No. 1 spot in the next WTA rankings.

Muguruza won her first title in the U.S. and her second of the year, after defeating Venus Williams at Wimbledon earlier this summer. In three tournaments since, she has at least reached the quarterfinals.

Muguruza broke Halep to go up 2-0 in the first set and was in control. Halep won only 12 points in the set, which lasted 23 minutes. Muguruza broke her again to open the second set and faced only two break points all match.

When it ended, Muguruza congratulated Halep and walked around the court with her smiling face cradled in both hands, taking it all in. Then she put her hands over her heart and reached toward the applauding crowd.

The women’s bracket was missing Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova. Muguruza knocked off defending champion Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals.

Garbine Muguruza Upsets Karolina Pliskova to Reach Western & Southern Open Final

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Garbine Muguruza has taken down the world No. 1 to reach her first Western & Southern Open final.

The 23-year-old Spanish-Venezuelan tennis player and reigning Wimbledon champion beat World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova to secure a place in Sunday’s final of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where she’ll take on No. 2 seed Simona Halep.

Muguruza came through 6-3, 6-2, having set the tone after breaking Pliskova in the very first game.

Muguruza kept the pressure on Pliskova’s serve, securing a key break to lead 4-2 in the second set before closing out victory in one hour and 21 minutes after taking a fifth match-point chance against the top seed.

Halep, meanwhile, could take over from Pliskova at the top of the WTA rankings if she’s able to win the tournament.

Halep had to battle past British No. 1 Johanna Konta 6-4, 7-6 (7/1) in their quarterfinal, which lasted almost two hours.

However, Halep coasted through the second semifinal with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Sloane Stephens in just 56 minutes.

Paraguay’s Verónica Cepede Royg Reaches Fourth Round at French Open

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Verónica Cepede Royg continues her Cinderella run at the French Open…

The 25-year-old Paraguayan tennis player beat Colombia’s Mariana Duque Marino 3-6, 7-6 (7-2) and 6-3 in the third round in a two-hour 28-minute match at Roland Garros.

Cepede Royg will next play current world number 2 Karolina Pliskova in the fourth round.

It will be an unprecedented and historic round for Paraguayan women’s tennis, because never before has a professional tennis player reached the second week in a Grand Slam or Roland Garros.

In 2002, Rossana de los Ríos made history, when she managed to reach the fourth round. Now Cepede Royg has joined her in te, as she prepares to enter Week Two of the tournament.

It’s the best Grand Slam performance for Cepede Royg, who is currently ranked No. 95 in the world.

Suarez Navarro Outlasts Venus Williams to Reach the Miami Open Semifinals

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It’s an out-of-this-world win for Carla Suarez Navarro…

The 26-year-old Spanish tennis player has stalled Venus Williams‘ recent resurgence in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open, beating the former WTA World No. 1.

Suarez Navarro, the tournament’s No. 12 seed defeated Williams 0-6, 6-1, 7-5 on Tuesday.

Williams, 34, was broken six times in the final two sets and double-faulted twice in the final game.

“Too many errors, and I was going for it the whole match,” Williams said. “Toward the end, I just never found the happy medium between being aggressive and putting the ball in the court.”

Earlier Tuesday, Andrea Petkovic became the first semifinalist at the Miami Open when she beat Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-2.

Petkovic, seeded ninth, arrived at Key Biscayne with a modest 7-6 record this year but has yet to lose a set. She will next face Suarez Navarro on Thursday.

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