MATCH REPORT | 2024 Australian Open: Beatriz HADDAD MAIA's dream ends against Russian qualifier Maria TIMOFEEVA

Beatriz Haddad Maia's dream of the Australian Open 2024 is over. The Brazilian played this morning against Russian Maria Timofeeva, nº170 in the WTA ranking, and lost by the scores of 7/6(7) and 6/3.

The start of the match was dominated by the Brazilian, who won the first eight points and broke one of the Russian's serves. When she served again, she took a 3/0 lead and won 12 points against just two from Timofeeva, who already had six unforced errors. The match changed radically after that. The Brazilian, who was in control of the match, started to make consecutive errors, lost a service game and saw the Russian tie the score at 3/3. The Russian gained more confidence, began to move Bia from one side of the court to the other and the game became more complicated for the Brazilian. Bia even saved a break point in the ninth game to prevent her rival from serving out to win the first set.

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The decider came down to a tie-break, which looked to be under control when Bia hit a great forehand down the line and opened up a 4/1 lead. Timofeeva, however, recovered, forced the Brazilian to make mistakes and leveled the score at 5/5. The Russian won a set point (6/5) when Beatriz played a backhand into the net, but Bia managed to save the ball by winning a long ball (6/6). Then it was the Brazilian's turn to win a set point by winning a scramble at the net. However, she missed a chance to close out the set when she missed a forehand. Bia then threw it all away when she missed a backhand and double-faulted immediately afterwards. Timofeeva won the first set 7/6(7).

The situation became even more complicated for Bia when she made three unforced errors and lost her serve in the second game of the second set. Timofeeva took advantage. Consistent from the back of the court, she lengthened the points and moved the Brazilian around, who kept making more errors. When the Russian opened up a 3/0 lead, she had only one winner in the match. Meanwhile, Bia had five errors and no winners. The Brazilian couldn't get back into the match. In the sixth game, when she missed another forehand, she lost her serve again and left the Russian with a 5/1 lead.

Timofeeva, increasingly confident, had the match in her hands and served the match point in her favor, but missed the opportunity when she missed a backhand parallel. Bia took advantage of the error and reduced her opponent's lead (5/2). The Brazilian didn't regain control of the match, but she kept fighting and saved another match point in the eighth game - courtesy of an error by Timofeeva. Shortly afterwards, she won her serve to leave the score at 5/3. In the ninth game, Bia saved two more match points. The first, in a long exchange of balls that ended with an error from the Russian. The second, with an easy forehand that Timofeeva dropped into the net. Two points later, the Russian qualifier gave Haddad no chance and closed out the set and the match 6/3.

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