37-year-old mum-of-two stuns Keys in Queen's tennis
Tatjana Maria, a mother-of-two who keeps defying the odds in her remarkable tennis career, has moved into her biggest final by stunning Australian Open champion Madison Keys at the prestigious Queen's Club Championships.
The unseeded Maria came into the tournament carrying the burden of nine straight losses with many wondering if the 37-year-old 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 defeating second seed Keys 6-3 7-6 (7-3)
American Anisimova defeated China's top seed and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 6-2 4-6 6-4 in the other semi-final.
"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.
Anisimova moved into her first grasscourt final after a roller-coaster victory over Zheng, who had beaten her twice last year.
In the week's other major grass-court event at Rosmalen in the Netherlands, Belgian third seed Elise Mertens dug deep to save 11 match points and overcome two-time winner Ekaterina Alexandrova 2-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 to reach Sunday's final against qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
"I didn't even know it was 11, after one or two I lost count," Mertens smiled.
Romanian Ruse recovered from losing the first set to defeat Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto 2-6 6-4 6-3.
Tatjana Maria, a mother-of-two who keeps defying the odds in her remarkable tennis career, has moved into her biggest final by stunning Australian Open champion Madison Keys at the prestigious Queen's Club Championships.
The unseeded Maria came into the tournament carrying the burden of nine straight losses with many wondering if the 37-year-old 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 defeating second seed Keys 6-3 7-6 (7-3)
American Anisimova defeated China's top seed and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 6-2 4-6 6-4 in the other semi-final.
"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.
Anisimova moved into her first grasscourt final after a roller-coaster victory over Zheng, who had beaten her twice last year.
In the week's other major grass-court event at Rosmalen in the Netherlands, Belgian third seed Elise Mertens dug deep to save 11 match points and overcome two-time winner Ekaterina Alexandrova 2-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 to reach Sunday's final against qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
"I didn't even know it was 11, after one or two I lost count," Mertens smiled.
Romanian Ruse recovered from losing the first set to defeat Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto 2-6 6-4 6-3.
Tatjana Maria, a mother-of-two who keeps defying the odds in her remarkable tennis career, has moved into her biggest final by stunning Australian Open champion Madison Keys at the prestigious Queen's Club Championships.
The unseeded Maria came into the tournament carrying the burden of nine straight losses with many wondering if the 37-year-old 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 defeating second seed Keys 6-3 7-6 (7-3)
American Anisimova defeated China's top seed and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 6-2 4-6 6-4 in the other semi-final.
"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.
Anisimova moved into her first grasscourt final after a roller-coaster victory over Zheng, who had beaten her twice last year.
In the week's other major grass-court event at Rosmalen in the Netherlands, Belgian third seed Elise Mertens dug deep to save 11 match points and overcome two-time winner Ekaterina Alexandrova 2-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 to reach Sunday's final against qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
"I didn't even know it was 11, after one or two I lost count," Mertens smiled.
Romanian Ruse recovered from losing the first set to defeat Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto 2-6 6-4 6-3.
Tatjana Maria, a mother-of-two who keeps defying the odds in her remarkable tennis career, has moved into her biggest final by stunning Australian Open champion Madison Keys at the prestigious Queen's Club Championships.
The unseeded Maria came into the tournament carrying the burden of nine straight losses with many wondering if the 37-year-old 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 defeating second seed Keys 6-3 7-6 (7-3)
American Anisimova defeated China's top seed and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 6-2 4-6 6-4 in the other semi-final.
"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.
Anisimova moved into her first grasscourt final after a roller-coaster victory over Zheng, who had beaten her twice last year.
In the week's other major grass-court event at Rosmalen in the Netherlands, Belgian third seed Elise Mertens dug deep to save 11 match points and overcome two-time winner Ekaterina Alexandrova 2-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 to reach Sunday's final against qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
"I didn't even know it was 11, after one or two I lost count," Mertens smiled.
Romanian Ruse recovered from losing the first set to defeat Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto 2-6 6-4 6-3.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Ukrainian into Nottingham final despite grass allergy
Dayana Yastremska says she has an allergy to grass but became the first Ukrainian player to reach a WTA Tour final on the surface for 17 years after a 6-4 6-4 defeat of Poland's Magda Linette at the Nottingham Open. Yastremska will seek her first WTA title since 2019, when she faces another unseeded player at the event in American McCartney Kessler on Sunday. "I really love playing on grass, even though I think I have a bit of an allergy to grass," she said. "I'm very excited, and I was proud of myself. "In general everything worked pretty well. I can't wait to play in the finals tomorrow. Finally I won't be playing at 11am, which I've been doing all week, so I can sleep tomorrow a little bit more!" Kessler, who only recorded her first career grass court win last week, beat Slovakia's world No.38 Rebecca Sramkova 6-4 6-2. Kessler's dream run in Nottingham got off to a strong start when she took out the top seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in the opening round. The 25-year-old also put an end to Katie Boulter's campaign for a third consecutive title at the event in the quarter-finals. "I think it (grass) suits my game pretty good, I'm serving well and playing some aggressive tennis," said Kessler. "I've played her (Dayana Yastremska) a couple times. I know her game, she's a really aggressive player, really good on grass, but I'm excited for another final."
Perth Now
5 hours ago
- Perth Now
Alcaraz reaches Queen's final as Lehecka sinks Draper
Carlos Alcaraz swept past fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut to stretch his winning streak and set up a Queen's Club final against Czech Jiri Lehecka. Top seed Alcaraz, 22, had too much firepower for his 37-year-old opponent during a 6-4 6-4 victory in London on Saturday, his 17th successive win and the 250th of his career. British fans had hoped to witness a final showdown between Alcaraz and home favourite Jack Draper but Lehecka earlier ripped up that script with a superb 6-4 4-6 7-5 defeat of the second seed. Lehecka, 23, is the first Czech man to reach a top level grass-court final for 15 years. "It means a lot. You don't meet a player like Jack every day, he's an amazing competitor," Lehecka said. Alcaraz, Queen's champion in 2023, was stretched to the absolute limit against compatriot Jaume Munar earlier in the week during a tussle lasting more than three hours. But he was more comfortable against Bautista Agut, who provided stubborn resistance but never really looked like springing an upset on a sultry afternoon in west London. An early break of serve in each set proved sufficient for Alcaraz, who reached his fifth final in a row. "I'm feeling I'm playing great tennis and feeling more comfortable," said Alcaraz, who won his fifth Grand Slam title this month at the French Open. "I love stepping on court and love playing with a smile on my face. That's why I'm making good results." The two-time defending Wimbledon champion, who is into his fifth straight final, ominously declared after his latest win: "Grass mode is activated." He added: "I said at the beginning of the tournament I was trying to feel more comfortable every day. "I feel I'm playing great tennis, more comfortable after every match and making the final here in Queen's is so special." Earlier, world No.30 Lehecka silenced the crowd by beating Draper, whose run to the semi-finals means he will be seeded fourth at Wimbledon which starts on June 30. Second seed Draper, bidding to follow in the footsteps of five-times Queen's champion Andy Murray, dropped his opening service game and Lehecka barely a put a foot wrong as he took the first set in clinical fashion. Left-hander Draper saved a break point early in the second set and broke fellow 23-year-old Lehecka's serve for the first time in the 10th game to level the match. Both players were rock solid on serve in the decider with Lehecka having the first chance of a break at 4-4 but Draper survived to pile the pressure on his opponent. Lehecka did not flinch, though, and broke serve at 5-5 with two stunning passing shots, one a forehand and then a backhand, to leave Draper smashing his racket in rage against a court-side electronic advertising board and receiving a code violation. Lehecka still needed to hold his serve to reach the final and he did so in style, roaring his delight after clinching his first victory against a top-10 player since beating Alcaraz in Doha in February. The last Czech man to reach a top-level grasscourt final was Tomas Berdych at Wimbledon in 2010 and the last to do so at Queen's was Ivan Lendl in 1990. Draper said he would take a few days off to recover from tonsillitis, explaining he was low on energy due to the illness and was getting angry in a bid to gee himself up. "I'm proud of the way I went about things, considering, but it's tough," Draper said. "My main goal is to go into Wimbledon as prepared as possible and as fresh as possible."
The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Vondrousova downs Sabalenka to reach Berlin final
Marketa Vondrousova has powered past world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2 6-4 at the Berlin Open to book a place in her first final since she won Wimbledon in 2023. Czech Vondrousova controlled the tempo from the outset on Saturday with powerful serving on the grass as she wrapped up the win in one hour and 20 minutes. She will now meet Wang Xinyu in Sunday's final of the Wimbledon warm-up after the Chinese qualifier beat Liudmila Samsonova, the 2021 Berlin champion, 6-4 6-1. Vondrousova broke the Belarusian twice in the first set while saving both break points she faced. The second set saw the players trade early breaks and Sabalenka saved two break points to stay in touch at 3-2, before the match settled into a rhythm at 4-4. Sabalenka, who saved four match points against Elena Rybakina on Friday, could not repeat that escape as Vondrousova broke for 5-4 and served it out on her first match point with an ace. "I feel like on grass you have to take risks, you know, and that was the point; I was like, okay, let's try. The match would continue otherwise, so you have to go for it. I was feeling really well today so, yeah, I'm just very happy," Vondrousova said. While Sabalenka struggled to find consistency, racking up 30 unforced errors, Vondrousova stayed measured and composed throughout, limiting her own tally to 12. Despite previous wins over Sabalenka, this was Vondrousova's first career victory against a reigning No.1. Currently ranked 164, the Czech has battled injuries since July 2024 and entered Berlin unseeded after missing three months this season with a shoulder injury. Vondrousova now faces Wang Xinyu who beat Russian Samsonova in an hour and 15 minutes to reach the first final of her career. After securing the first break of the match, Wang built up a 5-2 lead before Samsonova hit back to narrow the gap. But Wang held firm, converting her fourth set point to break again and close out the set. Wang dominated the second set, breaking for 3-1 and saving two break points to hold for 4-1. She broke again for 5-1 on her fourth chance and calmly served out the match. The 23-year-old Wang, ranked 49th in the world, has enjoyed a breakout week in the German capital, beating second seed Coco Gauff in the round of 16. "This week has been a dream for me. I've been playing unbelievable tennis here. I don't know, it's something with Berlin I guess," Wang said. "Coming to every match here, I wasn't expecting anything, you know. For me, it was really just to enjoy the stage... We're always saying that (you should) celebrate before the final because if you lose that, you don't celebrate anything for this incredible week." Marketa Vondrousova has powered past world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2 6-4 at the Berlin Open to book a place in her first final since she won Wimbledon in 2023. Czech Vondrousova controlled the tempo from the outset on Saturday with powerful serving on the grass as she wrapped up the win in one hour and 20 minutes. She will now meet Wang Xinyu in Sunday's final of the Wimbledon warm-up after the Chinese qualifier beat Liudmila Samsonova, the 2021 Berlin champion, 6-4 6-1. Vondrousova broke the Belarusian twice in the first set while saving both break points she faced. The second set saw the players trade early breaks and Sabalenka saved two break points to stay in touch at 3-2, before the match settled into a rhythm at 4-4. Sabalenka, who saved four match points against Elena Rybakina on Friday, could not repeat that escape as Vondrousova broke for 5-4 and served it out on her first match point with an ace. "I feel like on grass you have to take risks, you know, and that was the point; I was like, okay, let's try. The match would continue otherwise, so you have to go for it. I was feeling really well today so, yeah, I'm just very happy," Vondrousova said. While Sabalenka struggled to find consistency, racking up 30 unforced errors, Vondrousova stayed measured and composed throughout, limiting her own tally to 12. Despite previous wins over Sabalenka, this was Vondrousova's first career victory against a reigning No.1. Currently ranked 164, the Czech has battled injuries since July 2024 and entered Berlin unseeded after missing three months this season with a shoulder injury. Vondrousova now faces Wang Xinyu who beat Russian Samsonova in an hour and 15 minutes to reach the first final of her career. After securing the first break of the match, Wang built up a 5-2 lead before Samsonova hit back to narrow the gap. But Wang held firm, converting her fourth set point to break again and close out the set. Wang dominated the second set, breaking for 3-1 and saving two break points to hold for 4-1. She broke again for 5-1 on her fourth chance and calmly served out the match. The 23-year-old Wang, ranked 49th in the world, has enjoyed a breakout week in the German capital, beating second seed Coco Gauff in the round of 16. "This week has been a dream for me. I've been playing unbelievable tennis here. I don't know, it's something with Berlin I guess," Wang said. "Coming to every match here, I wasn't expecting anything, you know. For me, it was really just to enjoy the stage... We're always saying that (you should) celebrate before the final because if you lose that, you don't celebrate anything for this incredible week." Marketa Vondrousova has powered past world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2 6-4 at the Berlin Open to book a place in her first final since she won Wimbledon in 2023. Czech Vondrousova controlled the tempo from the outset on Saturday with powerful serving on the grass as she wrapped up the win in one hour and 20 minutes. She will now meet Wang Xinyu in Sunday's final of the Wimbledon warm-up after the Chinese qualifier beat Liudmila Samsonova, the 2021 Berlin champion, 6-4 6-1. Vondrousova broke the Belarusian twice in the first set while saving both break points she faced. The second set saw the players trade early breaks and Sabalenka saved two break points to stay in touch at 3-2, before the match settled into a rhythm at 4-4. Sabalenka, who saved four match points against Elena Rybakina on Friday, could not repeat that escape as Vondrousova broke for 5-4 and served it out on her first match point with an ace. "I feel like on grass you have to take risks, you know, and that was the point; I was like, okay, let's try. The match would continue otherwise, so you have to go for it. I was feeling really well today so, yeah, I'm just very happy," Vondrousova said. While Sabalenka struggled to find consistency, racking up 30 unforced errors, Vondrousova stayed measured and composed throughout, limiting her own tally to 12. Despite previous wins over Sabalenka, this was Vondrousova's first career victory against a reigning No.1. Currently ranked 164, the Czech has battled injuries since July 2024 and entered Berlin unseeded after missing three months this season with a shoulder injury. Vondrousova now faces Wang Xinyu who beat Russian Samsonova in an hour and 15 minutes to reach the first final of her career. After securing the first break of the match, Wang built up a 5-2 lead before Samsonova hit back to narrow the gap. But Wang held firm, converting her fourth set point to break again and close out the set. Wang dominated the second set, breaking for 3-1 and saving two break points to hold for 4-1. She broke again for 5-1 on her fourth chance and calmly served out the match. The 23-year-old Wang, ranked 49th in the world, has enjoyed a breakout week in the German capital, beating second seed Coco Gauff in the round of 16. "This week has been a dream for me. I've been playing unbelievable tennis here. I don't know, it's something with Berlin I guess," Wang said. "Coming to every match here, I wasn't expecting anything, you know. For me, it was really just to enjoy the stage... We're always saying that (you should) celebrate before the final because if you lose that, you don't celebrate anything for this incredible week." Marketa Vondrousova has powered past world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2 6-4 at the Berlin Open to book a place in her first final since she won Wimbledon in 2023. Czech Vondrousova controlled the tempo from the outset on Saturday with powerful serving on the grass as she wrapped up the win in one hour and 20 minutes. She will now meet Wang Xinyu in Sunday's final of the Wimbledon warm-up after the Chinese qualifier beat Liudmila Samsonova, the 2021 Berlin champion, 6-4 6-1. Vondrousova broke the Belarusian twice in the first set while saving both break points she faced. The second set saw the players trade early breaks and Sabalenka saved two break points to stay in touch at 3-2, before the match settled into a rhythm at 4-4. Sabalenka, who saved four match points against Elena Rybakina on Friday, could not repeat that escape as Vondrousova broke for 5-4 and served it out on her first match point with an ace. "I feel like on grass you have to take risks, you know, and that was the point; I was like, okay, let's try. The match would continue otherwise, so you have to go for it. I was feeling really well today so, yeah, I'm just very happy," Vondrousova said. While Sabalenka struggled to find consistency, racking up 30 unforced errors, Vondrousova stayed measured and composed throughout, limiting her own tally to 12. Despite previous wins over Sabalenka, this was Vondrousova's first career victory against a reigning No.1. Currently ranked 164, the Czech has battled injuries since July 2024 and entered Berlin unseeded after missing three months this season with a shoulder injury. Vondrousova now faces Wang Xinyu who beat Russian Samsonova in an hour and 15 minutes to reach the first final of her career. After securing the first break of the match, Wang built up a 5-2 lead before Samsonova hit back to narrow the gap. But Wang held firm, converting her fourth set point to break again and close out the set. Wang dominated the second set, breaking for 3-1 and saving two break points to hold for 4-1. She broke again for 5-1 on her fourth chance and calmly served out the match. The 23-year-old Wang, ranked 49th in the world, has enjoyed a breakout week in the German capital, beating second seed Coco Gauff in the round of 16. "This week has been a dream for me. I've been playing unbelievable tennis here. I don't know, it's something with Berlin I guess," Wang said. "Coming to every match here, I wasn't expecting anything, you know. For me, it was really just to enjoy the stage... We're always saying that (you should) celebrate before the final because if you lose that, you don't celebrate anything for this incredible week."
