Bia Haddad shines in front of a full house and makes a strong debut at the SP Open

Beatriz Haddad Maia did what was expected of her on Tuesday night at the SP Open debut. In a packed Maria Esther Bueno Court at Parque Villa-Lobos, the number 1 in Brazil and 27 in the world thrilled the crowd, heard chants of ‘olê olá, Bia,’ and delivered a beautiful performance, confirming her favoritism by defeating Italian Miriana Tona (30 years, #409 in the rankings) 6/1 and 6/1. The 29-year-old from São Paulo, the top seed in the WTA 250 Sao Paulo, advances to the round of 16, where she will face another Brazilian: Laura Pigossi (31 years, #175), who also won on Tuesday by beating the American Elizabeth Mandlik (#257) 2/6, 6/3, and 6/4.