Beatriz Haddad Maia entered the Wimbledon draw as the second most in-form player on the WTA Tour. She left the All England Club on day 1 after falling to World #62 Kaja Juvan 6-4 4-6 6-2. It was Juvan’s first win on the grass this season.
The Brazilian came into Wimbledon having won 13 of 14 matches on grass this season including titles in Nottingham and Birmingham. The 26-year-old is having a career year in 2022 but has yet to translate that success to the Slam level.
In the first Grand Slam of her career where she held a seed, Haddad Maia could never seem to get comfortable against Juvan. The Brazilian won just 68% of points on her first serve while committing 34 unforced errors. She struggled to play the crucial points well and was bitten in the end by the free-swinging of the 21-year-old Slovenian.
Typically not effective on grass, Juvan rode a reliable kick-serve to help her win crucial points. She will face the winner of the match Dalma Galfi and Maddison Inglis in Round 2.
If you told Beatriz Haddad Maia before the grass season she would hold a record of 13-2 on the surface I think she would have been beyond ecstatic. With that said, I can guarantee she would like to trade some of those 250 wins in Nottingham and Birmingham for Wimbledon success. Still, it’s been an impressive month for the Brazilian, who will now look to the American hard court swing to continue her success.
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