At this highest of levels, all tennis players have a go-to shot -- the one thing they can count on under duress. For some it’s the serve or a bone-crunching forehand, for others perhaps a backhand down the line or a deft hand when closing at net.
For Beatriz Haddad Maia, it’s not a shot at all.
Beijing: Scores | Order of Play | Draws
“I think my best quality is my attitude -- never give up,” she said Saturday after advancing to the third round of the China Open. “I’m a normal person. I can fail and I can miss, but I try to be better in the next point. I try to forget these things.
“Now, I’m doing this better. I have this mentality and belief that I can step on court and play competitively against all the players.”
After defeating wild card Wei Sijia 7-5, 6-4, the 28-year-old from Brazil has won 13 of her past 15 matches, putting her in an exclusive club with Beijing’s top seeds Aryna Sabalenka (13-0) and Jessica Pegula (16-2).
Haddad Maia has a huge test on Monday -- against No.18 seed Madison Keys, a decisive 6-1, 6-2 winner over Sara Sorribes Tormo.
That fierce attitude manifested itself on Saturday in the second set against Wei. The 20-year-old from China took a 4-1 lead and won the first point of Haddad Maia’s subsequent serve when the temperature suddenly changed.
Haddad Maia went on a breathtaking run, winning 18 consecutive points, and ultimately the last five games of the match.
“It’s tennis,” she explained in an exclusive interview with wtatennis.com. “We sometimes have ups and downs, and I was trying to find myself. Just thinking point by point. Yeah, I did a great job. I pushed my level up, I served the ball, returned well, was very solid.
“I finished in the best way.”
Haddad Maia saved eight of 10 break points in winning her fifth straight match.
It’s been an exceptional six weeks. Before the US Open, Haddad Maia reached the final in Cleveland before falling to McCartney Kessler. In New York, she defeated Anna Kalinskaya in the third round and Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth before losing to streaking Karolina Muchova in the quarterfinals.
Her trajectory in Asia has actually risen. Last week, she won the title at the Hana Bank Korea Open, besting No.13 Daria Kasatkina in the final -- after dropping the first set 6-1 and trailing 2-0 in the second. It was her first title of the year and the fourth of her career.
Haddad Maia’s won four consecutive matches in each of her past three tournaments.
“I think it’s the hard work,” she said, laughing. “There is no secret, no special things. I just try to work very, very hard every single day and this winning means we are working well and doing great things daily.
“I don’t want to think about what I did different. I’m just happy the way it’s working out.”
Quality time, especially early in the season, with coach Rafael Paciaroni is paying off in a big way. Not only is Haddad Maia on the cusp of returning to the Top 10, but sitting at No.17 in the PIF Race to the WTA Finals, a run to the final four here could thrust her into the qualifying conversation.
Haddad Maia knows where she’s ranked but not exactly where she stands regarding qualifying. That’s the way she wants it. Dwelling on defending points every week is too negative an approach, she said.
“My first goal is this week, which is here in Beijing,” she explained. “The players that qualify are going to be qualified because they deserve it and worked better than the other players.
“Being Top 100, it’s tough. Playing Top 50, Top 30, Top 20 -- every level that we reach is special for each player. And, yeah, it’s one of the goals to be Top 10 again. I will do my best to finish the season strong but for me, Riyadh is still a long way. We’ll see in a few weeks what’s going to happen.”
Head to Head
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Haddad Maia is happy with her transition from Seoul, where the balls and conditions were markedly different. The match against Keys will give her a good indication of where her game is. They’ve split two previous matches, with Keys winning a third-round match this year in Rome and Haddad Maia taking their 2023 meeting at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai.
“She’s a very good player, one of the best players in the world for many years,” Haddad Maia said. “Top 10, quarterfinals, semifinals, finals of Grand Slams, so it’s going to be for sure a nice match.
“I’ll try to be as aggressive and competitive as I can.”
