Emma Raducanu arrived in Palm Desert still trying to figure out how to keep her body in one piece, merely attempting to string a few matches together, yet her run to the third round left her staring across at one of the most match-tough players in the world on Monday.
Only one WTA player, Iga Swiatek, won more matches than Beatriz Haddad Maia last year and after being eviscerated in the opening set by Raducanu, Haddad Maia showcased her mental toughness by instantly fighting back. By the middle of an exhausting final third set, it would have been reasonable to conclude that she had Raducanu exactly where she wanted.
