Beatriz Haddad Maia laid on an upset of the world No. 1 as the Brazilian defeated Iga Swiatek 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 on Thursday for a quarter-finals place at the WTA Toronto Masters.
The No. 24 fought off brisk wind and an opponent who dominated for half of the season with six titles and a 37-match win streak which ended at Wimbledon.
Haddad Maia made history for Brazil as she defeated her third Top 10 opponent of the season and became the first from her country to beat a world No. 1
The three-hour upset made her the first Brazilian to reach the quarters at a WTA 1000 event.
Swiatek was denied a 50th match win this season. Swiatek had won 23 straight matches at the Masters 1000 level.
“At the beginning I struggled to find my rhythm, probably because she’s lefty and I had a hard time adjusting to her serve,” Swiatek said.
“Without the wind I would manage. But it was pretty crazy out there.”
The Pole saved 15 of 19 break points.
“I’m happy and proud of myself and my team, it’s a special moment. It’s not always easy to beat the number one on a huge stage and against all the crowd,” Haddad Maia said.
“I think I passed through very tough moments in my career to live this moment. I just want to enjoy a little bit.
“I don’t want to think about my next match. But, yeah, I feel happy.”
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