London Final Breakthrough: Maria secures a sensational spot in the finale
Title: Heck Yeah! Germany's Tatjana Maria Makes History, Reaches The Queen's Club Final
London (dpa) - In a stunning turn of events, 37-year-old German tennis sensation Tatjana Maria is living her wildest dreams and making history as she reaches the final of a WTA 500 tournament for the first time in her illustrious career. This beauty on the grass court took down the heavily favored Australian Open champion Madison Keys, leaving everyone stunned with a 6:3, 7:6 (7:3) victory in the semi-finals.
"Holy sh*t! I mean, seriously, can you frikkin' believe it? A dream I've had since I first picked up a racket is coming true," said an overjoyed Maria. "I couldn't have asked for a better tournament to reach the final. I'm so freakin' proud!"
At 37 years and 312 days, the former Wimbledon finalist now holds the title as the oldest player in a WTA 500 final. Facing her across the net in the grass court final will be American Amanda Anisimova, who knocked out the top-seeded Zheng Qinwen from China 6:2, 4:6, 6:4.
Germany's top tennis player, Alexander Zverev, who's playing the final in Stuttgart on Sunday, had a few words for Maria: "I gotta wish her all the best, of course. I think she hasn't won a tournament in a while. So it'd be friggin' sweet to see her do it again, especially at her age. She always has her family, her daughters with her. I think that's frikkin' awesome." Maria snatched her last tournament win in 2023 in Bogota, Colombia.
The tournament at the Queen's Club is a key indicator for the grass classic Wimbledon, set to run from June 30 to July 13. Maria has been tearing through the competition, with her favorite surface serving as a slaughterhouse for favored opponents. In the quarterfinals, she pulled a coup against the former Wimbledon winner Jelena Rybakina from Kazakhstan. Before that, she took down the former Canadian US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez and the Czech Karolina Muchova.
In 2022, Maria made her greatest splash on Grand Slam level, with her sensational run to the semifinals at Wimbledon. This badass on the court has been turning heads for years, with her distinctive slice-heavy playing style and impressive longevity, particularly on grass courts.
Fun fact: Maria became the first woman since 1962, the year Billie Jean King was born, to win a WTA title at The Queen’s Club at the age of 37!
Tatjana Maria's tennis journey has been marked by history-making moments, and her latest triumph in the Queen's Club semi-finals, where she defeated a heavily favored opponent, has only added to her achievements. Despite already being a seasoned player in sports, particularly tennis, Maria's victory in this WTA 500 tournament demonstrates that her passion for the game remains undiminished.
