Nottingham (England) – hours later win your second singles match and securing a place in the quarter-finals of the WTA 250 in Nottingham, Beatriz Haddad Maia already has an opponent for the next round of the tournament on grass. The number 1 in Brazil and 48th in the world challenges the Greek Maria Sakkari, main seed of the event and fifth place, who beat the experienced 31-year-old Canadian Rebecca Marino, 109th, by 1/6, 6/3 and 6/3 .

Bia has already beaten Sakkari twice on the tour, including one in the current season in Miami. The first duel between them took place in 2014. The reunion will take place around 9 a.m. (Brasilia time) this Friday. The campaign to the quarter-finals brings 60 points to the paulistana, who is with the best ranking of his career at 26 and climbs another three positions. If she is a semi-finalist, she will receive 110 points and be very close to making her top 40 debut.

The Brazilian also celebrated her strong performance in the round of 16, where she beat Yuriko Miyazaki, a Tokyo-born player who defends Great Britain on the circuit, by 6/2 and 7/6 (7-4 ) this Thursday. . “I already knew her, she plays especially well on fast surfaces and can be quite dangerous. Satisfied to advance in two sets, and above all to serve well in the important moments”, commented Bia, who even saved a ball from set at his service.

Around the same time Sakkari was winning her singles match, which was rained out in the second set, Bia also won a doubles match. The Brazilian joined the experienced Chinese Shuai Zhang, 33 and currently number 4 in the world ranking of this sport. Key leaders in NottinghamBia and Zhang beat Colombian Camila Osorio and Swiss Viktorija Golubic by 6/2 and 6/3.

With the result, Bia and Zhang are in the quarter-finals of the doubles and face the Taiwanese Latisha Chan and the Australian Samantha Stosur. The match will take place at the end of the round and was scheduled on court 2 of the complex. The left-hander from São Paulo is currently 33rd in the doubles specialist rankings, also occupying the highest rating of her career.

Bia’s partner in Nottingham, Zhang is also in the quarter-finals of the singles and faces the Czech Tereza Martincova at 7am (Brasília).