Haddad Maia Achieves Milestone In French Open Quarter-Final Win Against Jabeur

Beatriz Haddad Maia has etched her name in the annals of her country by becoming the first Brazilian woman to move through to the semi-finals at Roland Garros in the Open Era.

The world number 14 achieved the incredible milestone after upsetting world number seven Ons Jabeur 3-6 7-6(5) 6-1 in Wednesday's quarter-final clash.

It was Jabeur who began the contest brightly in front of the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd, breaking her opponent three times with her full array of drops to clinch the opening exchanges.

The second set saw a shift in momentum as Haddad Maia held firm despite the pressure mounted on her to pull herself back on level terms.

From that point, the Brazilian continued to excel against the Tunisian who looked jaded, exploiting many cheap errors from Jabeur to seal victory in 2 hours and 29 minutes.

"I was prepared for the game," Haddad Maia said after her win. 

"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 next face No.1 seed and defending champion Iga Swiatek who ousted Coco Gauff in a rematch of last year's Roland Garros final. 

Their only previous match saw Haddad Maia upset Swiatek in three sets on the hard courts of Toronto last summer.

Meanwhile, the only other Brazilian woman to reach the last four of a Grand Slam in the Open Era was seven-time major champion Maria Bueno at the 1968 US Open. 

Bueno died in 2018 at the age of 78 but made the French Open semifinals on five occasions prior to the Open Era, including a run to the 1964 final.