Beatriz Haddad Maia on Wednesday overcame Magda Linette in the longest WTA main draw match of 2024 at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, with the contest lasting three hours and 42 minutes.
Haddad Maia won the decisive tie-break at the end of a pulsating first set, and the second followed a similar all-action theme, with Linette eventually edging it to force a final set.
Linette appeared to be running on empty in the third, however, with Haddad Maia dominating with a 7-6, 6-7, 6-1 win.
Her win was proceeded on Stadium Court by that of UAE resident Sorana Cîrstea, who produced a near-flawless display to dispatch World Number 9 Maria Sakkari in straight sets.
Sakkari went into the match as the favourite but Cîrstea felt at home, taking the game to her opponent and forcing her into uncharacteristic mistakes.
Cîrstea comfortably won the first set, then blew her opponent away in an even more dominant fashion during the second set on her way to a hugely significant 6-2, 6-1 victory.
Meanwhile, the first match of the day saw Daria Kasatkina become the first player to secure her place in the quarter-finals as she triumphed against American Ashlyn Krueger.
A French Open semi-finalist in 2022, Kasatkina looked full of confidence and played some fantastic tennis throughout the contest.
After winning the first set, the 2022 French Open semi-finalist was pushed by Krueger in the second, but Kasatkina wasn’t to be denied, finishing the match strongly and progressing to the last eight courtesy of a 6-3, 7-5 victory.
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