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Tatjana Maria beat her compatriot Jule Niemeier 4-6 6-2 7-5 on No 1 Court; she has continued her career after a second maternity leave and is only the sixth woman in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals after turning 34; Ons Jabeur, her good friend, awaits in the last four
Last Updated: 05/07/22 9:06pm
Tatjana Maria came from a set down on No 1 Court to book a semi-final place
Tatjana Maria continued her remarkable run at Wimbledon by securing a maiden semi-final appearance at the All England Club with victory over compatriot Jule Niemeier.
The 34-year-old, who gave birth to youngest daughter Cecilia last April, fought back from a set down to win the all-German contest 4-6 6-2 7-5 on No 1 Court.
She is only the sixth woman in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals after turning 34 years old.
The two German players embraced at the net following their contest
“I have goosebumps everywhere, it was such a tough match and I think that today we made Germany really proud,” the mother of two said on court after her victory.
“I have great support around me and I don’t even know what to say right now, I’m here on this court and I really just tried to enjoy it.
“This court is amazing, the crowd are amazing and it’s such a pleasure to play here. My two little girls are here. It’s a dream to live this with my family and with my two little girls. One year ago, I’d just given birth almost… so it’s crazy!”
Maria arrived at the Championships ranked 103 in the world and since 1984 only four female players have reached the semi-finals of the grass-court major ranked out of the top 100.
She did it the hard way on No 1 Court too, after going a set down largely due to some early nerves on display.
Maria reset well after losing the first set and started to take advantage of a greater number of unforced errors from her compatriot on the net.
Match Statistics
| Tatjana Maria | Jule Niemeier | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Aces | 3 |
| 7 | Double faults | 11 |
| 49% | First serve in % | 60% |
| 67% | Win % on first serve | 67% |
| 56% | Win % on second serve | 40% |
| 29/45 | Net points won | 42/74 |
| 5/7 | Break points won | 3/9 |
| 26 | Winners | 39 |
| 37 | Unforced errors | 54 |
| 109 | Total points won | 97 |
Niemeier made 15 unforced errors in the second set and another 21 in the decider, while Maria kept her own work in check and converted two of the three break points she created in the all-important last set.
The two players exchanged breaks in the last set – in the fifth and eighth games – before Maria saved an all-important break point during the lengthy 11th game.
Maria had already saved two match points against Jelena Ostapenko earlier in the draw, and continued to show her mental strength by ensuring she came out on top 7-5 to continue her dream run.
Jabeur recovers from set down to reach semi-finals
Jabeur has never been past the quarter-finals before at the Wimbledon Championships
Jabeur also recovered from a set down to beat Marie Bouzkova and reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon for the first time.
The 27-year-old is the highest seed left in the women’s draw and after the sternest test she has faced, she triumphed 3-6 6-1 6-1 to move two victories away from becoming the first woman from Africa to win a singles title at the All England Club.
This was Bouzkova’s maiden outing on Wimbledon’s biggest court but she displayed little nerves and plenty of resolve to hold an eight-minute opening service game.
Match Statistics
| Marie Bouzkova | Ons Jabeur | |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Aces | 0 |
| 1 | Double faults | 2 |
| 77% | First serve in % | 59% |
| 45% | Win % on first serve | 67% |
| 53% | Win % on second serve | 55% |
| 15/24 | Net points won | 21/32 |
| 3/5 | Break points won | 6/9 |
| 14 | Winners | 30 |
| 17 | Unforced errors | 27 |
| 61 | Total points won | 83 |
It appeared to boost the Czech and her athleticism was evident with Jabeur’s trademark drop-shots not initially catching her out, which contributed towards a break for the unseeded player to move 3-2 ahead.
Bouzkova also showed plenty of deft touches and Jabeur could only kick away the tennis ball after she lost the first set in 41 minutes.
World No 2 Jabeur quickly turned the screw at the start of the second. A volley sealed an early break for the third seed and another was handed out by Bouzkova when she double-faulted.
Two more masterful deft touches from Jabeur forced a decider on Centre Court and even a comfort break by Bouzkova ahead of the third set failed to knock Jabeur off her stride.
An extraordinary third point of the decider’s second game saw Bouzkova somehow return while on the floor and move 40-0 up, but Jabeur rattled off five points in a row to break.
The 27-year-old had firmly taken control now and efficiently finished proceedings. Next up for Jabeur is a surprise meeting with her friend and the world number 103 Maria.
“I love Tatjana so much and her family is so amazing,” Jabeur said.
“She is my barbeque buddy, so it will be tough to play her, obviously but she is a great friend and I am really happy she is in the semi-final.”
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