Simona Halep, the world No.2, endured a torrid time against big-hitting Beatriz Haddad Maia before emerging a 7-5, 6-3 winner in the evening sun.
Halep discovered that the tall Brazilian, the world No.97 hits - in golfing parlance - a big ball but it doesn’t always land on the fairway. However, when she adds control to that hitting power, the 21-year-old can trouble even one of the very best players in the game.
"She (Haddad Maia) is moving well and doesn't have a weakness that much," Halep said. "Both shots are pretty strong, and also the serve. She came to the net. I think was a good level of tennis.
"She was very, very, like, powerful. Also I had to stay very low and to push her very back, and to cut her time to set and hit the ball because she's a pretty difficult opponent. She's a great player, in my opinion. She's young and she is going to have good future.”
Halep played the majority of the match five feet behind the baseline to give her more chance of reaching her opponent’s ground strokes but this reduced the effectiveness of her own game.
With coach Darren Cahill watching, Halep continually tried to edge ahead, only for Haddad Maia to come up with yet more winners.
One serve took Halep so wide her return hit the umpire’s chair, but it was a fault and everyone quickly moved on.
Having reached the Wimbledon semi-final in 2014 and appeared in two French Open finals, Halep had all the experience needed to dig herself out of trouble after losing her serve to trail 5-3 in the first set. She broke back immediately, and again in the 11th game, before serving out to win the set in 47 minutes.
Haddad Maia created chances to break in the fifth game of the second set and was forced to endure the longest game of the match just to hold serve. It was a sign that the Romanian was starting finally to get to grips with her opponent and she reeled off three games to settle the contest and reach the third round.
Halep now faces Peng Shaui and is wary of the danger she poses, adding: "She is very dangerous and very solid. She's hitting with two hands both sides and I think I have to stay low again. I didn't watch much how she's playing on grass, but I know that she's pretty strong opponent."
