Beatriz Haddad Maia wins tight battle with Ons Jabeur to reach French Open semi-finals

Beatriz Haddad Maia upset No. 7 seed Ons Jabeur after a tight battle to advance to the semi-finals of the French Open for the first time.

Haddad Maia became the first Brazilian woman to reach the semi-finals of the clay-court slam for the first time in the Open Era after she came from a set down for a 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-1 win over the Tunisian in two hours and 29 minutes.

Prior to this tournament, the 27-year-old had never gone beyond the second round of a Grand Slam or beat a top 10 player at a major and she described her win against Jabeur as one of the ‘biggest and special’ wins of her career.

‘’I was prepared for the game," Haddad Maia said after the match.

"I knew that it would be very hard. It's not easy to be a set down against Jabeur, and she was playing well.

‘’So, when the match was done, I just looked to my team and said, 'We made it.'

"I think it was one of the biggest and special wins for me, also because Jabeur is a player that I respect a lot.

‘’It's very tough to come and go for it because one thing is to win a set, one thing is to have 5-3 and serve, and one thing is to go and win the match.

‘’I was very proud, and I think my face showed that, I think, hard working, it works sometimes.’’

Haddad Maia will take on world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals on Thursday.