PETE ZIEBRON in FOUNTAIN HILLS
Runner-up Kristie Ahn, Marcus Vinicios Barbosa, the coach of Beatriz Haddad Maia and Champion Beatriz Haddad Maia in the trophy ceremony in Fountain Hills. Pete Ziebron Images
Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil once again brought her power game to the final of the $50K ITF CopperWynd Women's Pro Challenge in Fountain Hills, Arizona yesterday, holding off American Kristie Ahn 7-6(4) 7-6(2) to win the biggest tournament of her young career.
Kristie Ahn jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the opening set, breaking in the 3rd game of the opening set and then comfortably holding serve in the next game. However, Haddad Maia would hold at love, break Ahn at 15 and then hold yet again to square the set at four apiece.
The Brazilian would then break Ahn again and proceed to hold a set point before being broken herself, leveling the set a 5-all. Ahn would win the next game on a fortunate net cord and Haddad Maia won the following game at 30 to take the opening set to a breaker.
Beatriz Haddad Maia would race to a 6-2 lead when Ahn got within striking distance at 4-6 before the Brazilian ultimately closed out the opening set on serve.
Kristie Ahn leaves an 8 foot skid mark on the court in all absolute all out effort to chase down a drop shot. Pete Ziebron Images
Kristie Ahn would get a fairly early break in the second set at love to take a 2-1 lead and would consolidate the break to lead 3-1. However, Ahn would be broken in each of her next two service games, double faulting each time at break point and the set would ultimately reach 4-4.
Haddad Maia woud hold a Match Point on Ahn's serve in the 10th game of the set, however the American steadied her game in the nick of time to stave off the Championship Point. Now the Brazilian served at 5-all but double faulted to let Ahn back into the set.
At this point, Haddad Maia called for the trainer to have het foot checked. Sure enough, after the delay, Ahn fell behind 0-30, won the next point but dropped the game to send the 2nd set to a tiebreak.
Kristie Ahn won the first point of the breaker as well as the fourth to level at 2-2, however that would be the last point that she would win as Beatriz Haddad Maia won the final five points of the match to prevail 7-6(4) 7-6(2) to win the biggest tournament of her career. With the win, Haddad Maia rises in the WTA rankings from world #271 to world #211. Kristie Ahn advances from world #242 to #220 with her appearance in the Fountain Hills Final.
Finalists Melanie Oudin and Samantha Crawford next to Fountain Hills Champions Taylor Townsend and Ingrid Neel. Pete Ziebron Images
Earlier, Americans Taylor Townsend and Ingrid Neel defeated fellow Americans Samantha Crawford and Melanie Oudin 6-4 6-3 to win the Doubles tournament.
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