Emma Raducanu outlasts Beatriz Haddad Maia at Indian Wells

Emma Raducanu arrived in Palm Desert still trying to figure out how to keep her body in one piece, merely attempting to string a few matches together, yet her run to the third round left her staring across at one of the most match-tough players in the world.

Only one WTA player, Iga Swiatek, won more tennis matches than Beatriz Haddad Maia last year and after being eviscerated in the opening set, Haddad Maia showcased her mental toughness by instantly fighting back. By the middle of an exhausting, quality final third set, it would have been reasonable to conclude that she had Raducanu exactly where she wanted.

But as the pressure rose and the rising quality required even greater shotmaking of her, Raducanu fought with everything she had and emerged from one of the toughest matches of her young career as the victor. Unseeded at Indian Wells and ranked 77th, Raducanu outfought and outhit the 13th-seed Haddad Maia 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 to reach the fourth round at the Indian Wells WTA 1000 event for the first time in her career.

“I’m extremely happy with the way I fought and dug in [during] the third set,” said Raducanu. “I dropped my intensity a little bit in the second and against such a great opponent like Beatriz, that’s enough. It’s a 6-2 set before you know it. I was really happy with how I managed to regain my focus and intensity, and come back in the third.”

After starting last week not even fully certain that she would compete at Indian Wells, it has proven to be the site of her first true breakthrough 18 months after her US Open triumph.

Standing before Raducanu was one of the most improved players of the past year. After starting the 2022 season ranked outside of the top 80, Haddad Maia tore through the field, reaching