Gao Xinyu came back from one set down to beat Beatriz Haddad Maia 5-7 6-4 7-5 to give China a 1-0 win over Brazil in Group E at the United Cup. The 3-hour and 22-minute epic match was the losngest WTA singles match in tournament history.
Haddad Maia earned an early break in the first game to take a 2-0 lead. Gao Xinyu broke back in the 10th game with three winners to draw level to 5-5. The Chinese player held two break points to force a tie-break, but Haddad Maia fired four consecutive unreturned serves to hold serve and clinched a tight first set 7-5.
Gao required a medical time-out in the second set and resumed play with her thigh heavly strapped but she broke serve in the 10th game to win the second set 6-4. Haddad Maia broke serve in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead, The Brazilian player suffered from cramps when she was serving up at 4-3 in the third set and Gao broke straight back to draw level to 4-4. Gao defied Haddad Maia with a lob and sealed the win with a break in the 12th game as a forehandn from the Brazilian player sailed out.
Gao has replaced Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen. The Chinese player grabbed the headlines last September when she beat Sara Sorribes Tormo at the China Open in Beijing in a 4-hour and 15-minute marathon match, the fourth-longest WTA match of the Open Era.
“I have no idea what’s going on right now. My brain was empty and my whole brain was cramping. I was thinking of that match at the China Open. Actually after the China Open, I played a lot of matches, and I lost in the final set. I have a lot of opportunities, but I did not catch it. In the final set I was thinking like: ‘It’s like. Let me win one time, at least”, said Gao.
Zheng Zhizhen cruised past Thiago Monteiro 6-3 6-0 in 54 minutes to seal a 2-0 win for China to improve to 2-0 in their head-to-head matches. Zheng Zhizhen wn 87% of his first serve points.
Zhang teamed up with United Cup debutant Zhang Shuai to claim a 3-0 sweep. The Chinese team rallied from a break down to beat Carolina Alves and Rafael Matos 6-4 7-5.
