Maria delivers Queen's masterclass to upset Keys, sets up final with Anisimova
LONDON :German veteran Tatjana Maria defied the odds to move into the biggest final of her career when she stunned second seed and Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-3 7-6(3) at the Queen's Club Championships on Saturday.
The unseeded Maria came into the tournament carrying the burden of nine straight losses with many wondering if the 37-year-old mother of two was a spent force.
But she put those doubts to bed on the lush green surface at the Andy Murray Arena, where she has now knocked out two Grand Slam champions in back-to-back matches.
Having upset former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals, Maria will now play Amanda Anisimova for the trophy after the American beat top seed and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.
"Oh my God, to be honest, I cannot believe it. It's a dream come true. It's amazing to play here in front of you all, it's such a special place. I could not wish a better tournament to be in the final and I'm so, so proud," a smiling Maria said.
"You never can stop, doesn't matter how it goes. I think I'm a really good example for this. I had my ups and downs, but you always have to keep going.
"I love to play tennis. I love this sport and we live for these special moments. That's why it's amazing... To be here with my family, my team. It makes it so special that they are here and watching me. We live this dream together."
Keys unleashed raw power, hammering 41 winners to Maria's modest 11. But the German countered with crafty low slices that skidded treacherously off the grass, forcing the American second seed into 37 unforced errors while committing just six herself.
The only time Maria really struggled was when Keys approached the net, where the American won several points, especially on serve.
However, that ultimately proved to be Keys's undoing on match point when she sprinted up to the net, only for Maria to loft a perfectly weighted lob into an empty court to move into just her second grasscourt final of her career.
On the other side of the net will be eighth seed Anisimova, who moved into her first grasscourt final after a roller-coaster 6-2 4-6 6-4 victory over Zheng, who had beaten her twice last year.
Both players struggled with serve in windy conditions in a match that had a combined 16 double faults and 12 breaks of serve, but it was Anisimova who eventually triumphed over her Chinese opponent for the first time in her career.
"I've never gotten the win over her, every time we've played we've had some really tough battles and I think I was just really relieved at the end there," Anisimova said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
5 hours ago
- CNA
India future already looking bright as new generation step up to fill Kohli and Sharma void
LEEDS, England :The retirement of two Indian batting icons in less than a year piled the pressure on the next generation to step up, and new skipper Shubman Gill and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal look ready to fill the void left by Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Losing the India bowler with the second-most test wickets in Ravichandran Ashwin as well as former captains Kohli and Rohit in quick succession left India facing a daunting task during their tour of England. With England missing several frontline bowlers through injury for the series opener at Headingley, India were keen to make their mark. Jaiswal and Gill proved that there is still plenty of depth left in the Indian batting line-up, with both scoring centuries on Friday as the visitors piled on the runs to end day one of the first test on 359-3. The next 10 tests could define how the combination of skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum are viewed, after plenty of highs and lows over the past few years, with the Ashes series in Australia following India's visit. Putting India into bat to apply further pressure, at a ground where each of the previous six test matches have been won by the side bowling first, 23-year-old Jaiswal proved that the tourists had quickly transitioned from the old to the new. The scourge of England, however, was not overawed by any stretch, as he became the first Indian batter to score centuries in his first match in both Australia and England with a flawless display of off-side batting. Three of Jaiswal's five centuries have come against England. In total, he has now amassed a colossal 813 runs in 10 tests when facing McCullum's side. "We spoke a lot in the middle (with Gill) and we just made sure we tried to play session by session," Jaiswal told reporters. "Try to get as many runs as we can get, put the ball in the right places. "We enjoy playing together, there is amazing camaraderie between us. The way he batted was incredible, so calm and composed given the circumstances. I always enjoy batting with him. "Everywhere I go, everything I do in cricket, I love it. Of course some moments are more special than others." While Jaiswal dealt with the heat on a scorching Leeds day, Gill could not have been under more scrutiny. Without a test century outside of Asia, Gill came to the crease in Kohli's number four position in the order, with quick wickets before lunch swinging the momentum in England's favour. After back-to-back fours in the 32nd over settled his early nerves, Gill sprayed boundaries to all corners, bringing up his hundred with a glorious drive through the covers.
CNA
8 hours ago
- CNA
Sabalenka saves four match points to outlast Rybakina in Berlin
World number one Aryna Sabalenka showed nerves of steel and champion's resolve to defeat Elena Rybakina 7-6(6) 3-6 7-6(6) in their Berlin Open quarter-final on Friday, saving four match points in the final-set tiebreak. Rybakina had led 6-2 in the deciding breaker and appeared on the brink of securing a place in the semis but after she was denied victory on her first match point by a net cord, the momentum swung in Sabalenka's favour. The Belarusian reeled off five straight points, eventually clinching the win as Rybakina faltered under pressure. Sabalenka's grit and power proved decisive against the 2022 Wimbledon champion. The first set was a see-saw battle, with Rybakina breaking for a 4-2 lead before Sabalenka hit straight back. Both players held serve from 4-4 to force a tiebreak, where Sabalenka edged it 8-6. Rybakina responded by racing into a 2-0 lead in the second set and breaking again late to close it out 6-3. The deciding set was fiercely contested, with Sabalenka breaking for 5-4 but failing to serve out the match as Rybakina broke back and held for 6-5. Sabalenka then held under pressure to force a tiebreak, which produced the match's most dramatic twist. "Elena, she's a great player, we had a lot of tough battles in the very last stages and she's an amazing player honestly no idea how I was able to win those last points, I think I just got lucky," Sabalenka said after the match. "When I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down match points and actually not so long ago I was thinking, 'it's been a while since I've had some crazy comeback' and so here I am. "It's amazing to win matches like this, it trains your fighting spirit for the next tournaments and I'm proud of myself for trying till the very last point." Sabalenka will face Czech Marketa Vondrousova next, who is aiming for her first final since winning Wimbledon in 2023. Vondrousova defeated Ons Jabeur 6-4 6-1 in a rematch of the 2023 Wimbledon final. Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu advanced to the semi-finals after eighth seed Paula Badosa retired due to a right hip injury during their quarter-final clash. Wang, ranked 49th in the world, was leading 6-1 0-0 when Badosa pulled out of the contest. The Spaniard, visibly frustrated, smashed her racket and hurled it across the court following the post-match handshakes. The 23-year-old Wang has enjoyed a breakout week in the German capital, beating second seed Coco Gauff in the previous round. She will next face either American Amanda Anisimova or Russia's Liudmila Samsonova for a place in the final.
CNA
8 hours ago
- CNA
Alcaraz speeds past Rinderknech at Queen's, Draper downs Nakashima
LONDON :Carlos Alcaraz avoided another scare at the Queen's Club ATP 500 event as the top-seeded Spaniard dispatched France's Arthur Rinderknech with little fuss 7-5 6-4 to reach the semi-finals on Friday. Wimbledon champion Alcaraz toiled for three hours in stifling heat on Thursday to edge past fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar in a titanic scrap and afterwards admitted he did not know how he was still standing. It was far more straightforward against unseeded Rinderknech, the player he also beat in his opening match two years ago when he went on to win the title at the prestigious Wimbledon warm-up event in west London. The 22-year-old converted each of his two break points as he extended his sequence of match wins to a career-long 16. "I could be better (physically). Honestly I was thinking I was going to feel much worse than I did today," five-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz said on court. "I'm glad it was only one hour 20 minutes today." Britain's Jack Draper continued his Wimbledon build-up as he reached the semi-finals at Queen's for the first time with a 6-4 5-7 6-4 defeat of American Brandon Nakashima. Draper not only kept himself on track for the prestigious ATP 500 title, but also secured the win that guarantees a top-four seeding at Wimbledon where he will be the big home hope. The 23-year-old was fully tested by world number 32 Nakashima and his powerful game began to misfire as he lost the second set on a baking hot day on Andy Murray Arena. But Draper settled back into the groove in the deciding set and broke serve in the seventh game with one of his trademark forehand pile drivers. The left-hander had to save a break point when serving for the match at 5-4 but recovered to seal victory and set up a clash with Czech Jiri Lehecka who had earlier beaten Britain's Jacob Fearnley 7-5 6-2. "It means the world to me to reach the semi-finals here," Draper, bidding to become the first British player to win the title at the prestigious west London club since Murray won for a record fifth time in 2016. "I think there's going to be an even bigger buzz at the weekend and that will give me more energy to keep progressing." While being ranked fourth means Draper will avoid either defending champion Alcaraz or world number one Jannik Sinner until the semi-finals at Wimbledon, Draper shrugged off the significance of that when asked about it. "I kept getting asked about that by the journalists but I've got to reach the semi-finals first," he said. "But it is an incredible position. I was at Wimbledon last year ranked 40 so to go there as fourth seed is a testament to all the hard work my team has done, so very proud of that."
