Author: Barkha Roy
In a captivating first round women’s singles match at Wimbledon, Brazilian 13th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia orchestrated a sensational comeback to overcome Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva. After losing the first set, Haddad Maia showed her resilience, coming back to win a hard-fought 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 victory.
The match witnessed an intense battle between the two players, with Haddad Maia registering five aces compared to Putintseva’s two. Both struggled with double faults, committing three each during the match.
Haddad Maia displayed an impressive first serve percentage of 77%, while Putintseva maintained a respectable 69%. The Brazilian also excelled on her first serve, winning 76% of those points, while Putintseva had a success rate of 63%. In terms of success on the second serve, Haddad Maia had the edge, winning 43% of those points, compared to 35% for Putintseva.
The turning point of the match came in the second set, when Haddad Maia dominated, winning all six games and not allowing her opponent to gain any momentum. This momentum continued into the third set, when Haddad Maia kept his cool to secure victory.
Haddad Maia’s performance in the reception department was particularly impressive, winning 44 reception points compared to Putintseva’s 25. In total, she accumulated 94 points, while Putintseva managed 75. Haddad Maia will face Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian on Thursday, after she beat Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti in straight sets, 6-3 and 6-4.
Meanwhile, in a thrilling men’s singles match in the first round of Wimbledon, Christopher Eubanks of the United States emerged victorious against Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro in a thrilling four-setter. Eubanks showed resilience and determination throughout the match and eventually triumphed 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 and 6-3.
Both players showed their skills on the court, with Eubanks firing 28 aces compared to Monteiro’s 10. The American also maintained a solid 75% first serve percentage, while Monteiro struggled a little with a 51% first serve success rate. Eubanks proved particularly strong on his first serve, winning 85% of those points, while Monteiro managed a respectable 78%. In terms of success on the second serve, Eubanks had a slight advantage, winning 52% of those points compared to Monteiro’s 73%.
The match was very tight, with both players taking advantage of break point opportunities. Eubanks converted three of five break points, while Monteiro managed to convert one of two. There were no tiebreaks throughout the match, which indicates the back-and-forth nature of the sets.
Eubanks showed off his receiving skills, earning 30 points and outscoring Monteiro with 29. Overall, Eubanks proved to be the more consistent player, securing 118 points in total, compared to Monteiro’s 111.