The dream of the Spanish Sara Sorribes ended at Roland Garros in the round of 16, where in the third longest women’s match in the history of the tournament, she was defeated against the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, favorite 14, by 6-7(3), 6 -3 and 7-5.
The one from Castellón fought for 3 hours and 51 minutes, came back in the first set and came to have four balls to go 4-0 in the second, but she did not know how to take advantage of them and left the Brazilian alive, who achieved the best result of his career in a Grand Slam.
Haddad becomes the first Brazilian to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam since Maria Bueno in 1966 and the first to do so in Paris since that same player in 1964.
Her next rival for a place in the semifinals will be the Tunisian Ons Jabeur, seventh seed, who reached the quarterfinals for the first time in Paris, the last Grand Slam she had left, after defeating the American Bernarda Pera, 6-3 and 6. -1.
The 26-year-old from Castellón, back from a half-year period away from the slopes due to an injury in the tournament in Rome last year, leaves after having played for the first time in a round of 16 of a major.
A milestone in the career of this player who, until this edition of Roland Garros, had never chained three victories in a Grand Slam and who advanced with two very solid wins and after the third-round sick leave of Kazakh Elena Rybakina, fourth favorite.
Sorribes fought with great courage in a match in which he had a chance to win, but he did not take advantage of them and left a dangerous rival alive.
Dominated 5-2 in the first set, the one from Castellón was at the expense of a rival who had two services at her disposal to score the set, but from among the ashes Sorribes brought out her survival skills to equalize at 5.
Although she gave up her serve again, giving the Brazilian another chance to close with her serve, she recovered it again to force the tiebreaker, in which, somewhat demoralized, Haddad hardly put up any resistance.
The trend continued in the second set, when the Spaniard had up to four balls to make it 4-0, but Haddad saved them all and, somewhat demoralized, Sorribes dropped the next six games to take the match to a final third set.
Despite soon being placed at a disadvantage, the Spanish still fought, who managed to raise three match points and force the Brazilian, who finally closed the duel in the fourth.
