Bia Haddad loses number 1 and falls in the semifinals of Roland Garros

Bia Haddad fought, ran and presented a good performance against the Polish Iga Swiatek, this Thursday, but ended up eliminated in the semifinal of Roland Garros. The Brazilian tennis player was defeated by the current number 1 in the world by 2 sets to 0, with partials of 6/2 and 7/6 (9/7), in 2h09min of the game. Despite the elimination, Bia says goodbye to Paris with the best campaign of her career in a Grand Slam and one of the best by a Brazilian in tournaments of this level in history.

The 27-year-old athlete leaves Roland Garros with a historic campaign both for herself and for national tennis. By being among the top four tennis players at the Grand Slam held in Paris, she entered the select group of Brazilians who have already reached this stage in a tournament of this level. Only five athletes achieved this feat: Bia, Maria Esther Bueno, Gustavo Kuerten, Ronald Barnes and Fernando Meligeni.

In addition, she became the first Brazilian in a Roland Garros semifinal since 1966, when Maria Esther reached that stage. The Brazilian tennis legend was a finalist and runner-up in the French tournament in 1964. Bia had the chance to equal that mark after 59 years, in pursuit of a title that a Brazilian woman had never won in history. In singles, Brazil was only champion at Roland Garros with Guga in 1997, 2000 and 2001.

Taking into account all four Grand Slams, a Brazilian has not lifted the trophy in singles since 1966, precisely with Maria Esther, champion that year at the US Open. Bia, therefore, sought to break a 57-year-old armadillo.

From Paris, Bia will take the biggest prize of her career, totaling 643.5 thousand euros, equivalent to R$ 3.3 million (not discounting withholding taxes). The values ​​refer to what she achieved with the semifinal of the singles group and the second round of the women’s doubles.

She also added good points in the ranking. Current 14th tennis player in the world, the Brazilian will only not reach the Top 10 if the Czech Karolina Muchova is the champion of Roland Garros. Bia has already secured her best mark, the 11th position, becoming the best ranked tennis player in the country in the WTA singles list. It is worth remembering that Maria Esther shone on the courts before the creation of the official ranking.

In the final, Swiatek will face the Czech Karolina Muchova, 43rd in the world, who earlier overcame the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka by 2-1, with partials of 7/6 (7/5), 6/7 (5/7) and 5/7, in 3h13min. Muchova needed to save a match point to overcome the current world number two and secure a place in her first Grand Slam final. The final is scheduled for 10 am on Saturday, Brasilia time.

Swiatek will be looking for a second consecutive title in Paris and a third at Roland Garros. She also has last year’s US Open trophy in her bag. With this Thursday’s triumph, the tennis player from Warsaw ensured her stay at the top of the ranking. In case of defeat, she would have lost the tip to Sabalenka.