In only the third all-German Grand Slam quarterfinal in the Open Era, world No.103 Tatjana Maria recovered from a set down to beat Jule Niemeier 4-6 6-2 7-5 and become the first women’s singles semifinalist at Wimbledon 2022.
The world No.97 Niemeier broke Maria’s serve in the opening games of both the first and second sets, but the outcomes were largely different. The 22-year-old Niemeier, playing only her second Grand Slam main draw, kept the early established lead in the first set, as Maria didn’t manage to earn a single break point, while in the second set the veteran won four consecutive games from 1-0 down and comfortably forced a deciding set.
Even though the momentum seemed to be slightly on the experienced Maria’s side in the third set, it was again Niemeier who first earned a break, this time in the fifth game. The young German, who first broke into the Top 100 this May, consolidated the lead, 4-2, but Maria then won the next three games to serve for the match.
Niemeier was not done yet! Under the pressure of losing the quarterfinal, the Wimbledon debutante leveled the score at 5-5 and enjoyed the ovation from the entertained audience.
Soon afterwards, Maria finished the job on her opponent’s serve. As she converted her match point, Maria put her hands on her mouth and her face expression suggested: “I cannot believe this.”
Maria has become the sixth woman in the Open Era to reach Wimbledon semifinals after turning 34. The mom of two girls returned from maternity leave just under a year ago.
