LONDON, July 8 (Reuters) - Beatriz Haddad Maia moved into the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time in her career with an emphatic 6-2 6-2 victory over Sorana Cirstea on Saturday, a minute before play was suspended due to rain.
Haddad Maia, who became the first Brazilian woman to reach the top 10 in the WTA rankings after her semi-final run at Roland Garros a month ago, shot out of the blocks on a cloudy morning to convert two early breaks and take a 3-0 lead.
Cirstea could be heard urging herself to "Fight, fight, fight," and although she fought back with a break of her own, Haddad Maia attacked the Romanian's weaker second serve to break once again and serve out the opening set.
But that only delayed the inevitable as Haddad Maia ground Cirstea down in her final service game and clinched victory on her first match point.
And just in time as the rain came down, the players scrambled off, and the covers came on under grey London skies.
Persons:
Beatriz Haddad Maia, Sorana Cirstea, Haddad Maia, Roland Garros, Cirstea, Haddad, Rohith Nair, Hugh Lawson
Organizations:
Wimbledon, Thomson
Locations:
Romanian, Bengaluru