MATCH REPORT | Australian Open 2024 - Beatriz HADDAD MAIA stays in contention after tough win over Linda FRUHVIRTOVA

Beatriz Haddad Maia made the best possible start to the 2024 Australian Open. Bea Maia came up against the promising young Czech Linda Fruhvirthova, just 18 years old, who didn't make life easy for the number 10 seed in the Australian tournament, finishing the match with a score of 6-2 3-6 and 6-2.

In the first set of the match, the Brazilian managed to break Fruhvirthova's serve twice, easily reaching 3-0, but the world number 85 reacted, winning Hadad Maia's serve and reducing the match to 3-2. It was all just a brief scare, as she had relaxed in the match, and Bia came back, imposing herself on her opponent and closing out the set 6-2 in just under an hour of play;

In the second set, Fruhvirtova leveled the match and managed to break serve for the first time, making it 1-3. Bia began to make a lot of unforced errors, but prevailed on the longer points. At the Kia Arena, the many Brazilians in attendance gave their compatriot a lot of encouragement, but Beatriz was unable to overturn the deficit and lost 3-6;

In the third and decisive set, Bia Haddad started with a very strong serve and a very consistent game, winning her first three service games without losing a point, but Fruhvirtova kept herself in the game with her serves. With the score at 3-2, Beatriz Maia managed to break Linda's serve with a backhand to earn her first break point of the set. The Brazilian broke Fruhvirthova's serve again with a winner and closed out the match shortly afterwards in the eighth game, where Linda double-faulted and was unable to re-enter the game, leading to Hadad Maia closing out the match 6-3.

With her victory, she faces Alina Korneeva in the second round, who surprised Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo in the qualifying round for the main draw. It will be the Brazilian's first meeting on the WTA circuit with the 16-year-old Russian, who is the current number 1 in the junior tennis rankings.

By overcoming her opening match, Beatriz Haddad Maia has already managed to repeat her career-best performance in singles at the Australian Open. The No. 11 in the WTA rankings has reached the second round on three occasions (2018, 2019 and 2022), but has never made it to the third round in Melbourne. The Brazilian No. 1's best Grand Slam result was the semi-finals of Roland Garros last year.