Maia into Birmingham final

Ag AFP

BRIMINGHAM: Beatriz Haddad Maia defeated former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep at the Birmingham WTA tournament on Sunday to reach her second final in a week.

The Brazilian, who won the Nottingham Open title on June 12, prevailed 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in a hard-fought encounter.

Hadda Maia will play Zhang Shuai in the final after the Chinese player came from behind to defeat Halep’s fellow Romanian Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) in this Wimbledon warm-up event. Haddad Maia and Zhang won the doubles title together in Nottingham, also in the English Midlands, but will face each other in the final later on Sunday after rain meant no play was possible on Saturday.