Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia came back from a set and a break down to beat top seed Daria Kasatkina 1-6 6-4 6-1 in the final of the Hana Bank Korea Open in Seoul. Haddad Maia has improved her head-to-head record against Kasatkina to 3-1. Haddad Maia won the fourth WTA title of her career following her victories in Birmingham, Nottingham in 2022 and Zhuhai in 2023.
Haddad Maia has won 12 of her last 14 matches since the start of the Cleveland, where she she reached her first final of the season. She went on to reach the US Open quarter finals and now claims her first title since winning the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai in 2023.
Haddad Maia clinched the title in Seoul seven years after reaching the final in her tournament debut in 2017. The Brazilian player has a record of 8 wins to 1 defeat at this tournament.
Kasatkina won 89% of her first serve points and dropped just two points on her serve in the opening set. The Russian player converted her two break points. She broke at the start of the second set to take a 2-0 lead. Haddad Maia broke her seven-game losing streak to get her first game on the board in the second set.
Haddad Maia earned her first break of the match at 3-3 in the second set with a forehand winner. The South American player saved a break point with a forehand in the ninth game and held serve to take a 5-4 lead. She broke Kasatkina to win the second set 6-4 forcing the match to a decisive set after 73 minutes.
Haddad Maia earned the first break of the third set to open up a 3-1 lead and fended off three break points for Kasatkina to win five consecutive points and held serve for 4-1.
Haddad Maia rallied from 0-30 down before breaking serve in the sixth game for 5-1 lead. The world number 17 closed out the match after 1 hour and 50 minutes.
“I knew that I was working very hard during the last weeks. I feel stronger. I feel that I am very competitive now. I am in a good moment, ready for the next week. I feel that I am doing very good things, working hard, let’s see what the end of the season brings to me”, said Haddad Maia.
