Quarterfinals in Wimbledon: Jule Niemeier and Tatjana Maria make history

During training before the big German Wimbledon duel, Jule Niemeier and Tatjana Maria went their separate ways. While the two German tournament sensations had found time for a short chat the day before in the midst of the interview marathon, the final touches on Monday in first place were all focused. When Niemeier in the violet shirt was preparing for her opponent’s unpleasant undercut balls, Maria warmed up at the edge and immediately afterwards hit balls with husband and coach Charles-Edouard on the same court.

Even though neither of them looked at each other during lunchtime training, the very unequal players presented themselves remarkably relaxed before what was only the second all-German women’s quarter-final in the history of the grass classic. “We often play against people we like,” said 34-year-old Maria about her 12-year-old opponent ahead of Tuesday’s game (2:00 p.m. CEST). “I think we’re both doing well, going out, playing our best tennis and then everything’s fine again.”

A German is definitely in the Wimbledon semifinals

And Niemeier didn’t waste a thought on the extraordinary competitive situation with a view to the game on Court 1, the second largest court in the facility. She is “extremely” happy that a German is definitely in the semi-finals: “For me it only has positive things.”

For the fifth time in the history of professional tennis, two German players are in the top eight at Wimbledon in the same year. And their two extraordinary stories also fascinate the international media. On the one hand Niemeier as a Wimbledon debutant who had not yet won a Grand Slam match before the tournament. On the other side is Maria, who just 15 months after the birth of her second daughter is better than ever in her long career.

“It turns out that an older mother could still be the story of these championships,” wrote the English “Daily Mail” in amazement. Actually, this role would have been intended for her Florida neighbor Serena Williams, who failed early on. Now, Maria keeps telling the story of her traveling family tennis business with her husband and trainer Charles-Edouard and their daughters Charlotte and Cecilia in German, English and French for the cameras.

Jule Niemeier: I really take my hat off to that

“I really take my hat off to how they do it as a family,” enthused Niemeier. “I think it’s incredible to travel with two children.” The Dortmund native will be accompanied in London by her mother, her brother and a team led by coach Christopher Kas.

Reaching the quarter-finals is not only associated with entry into Wimbledon’s elite “Last 8 Club”, which among other things guarantees tickets for life, but also brings in the equivalent of 360,000 euros. “That’s a lot of money, it’s very helpful for both of us to know that you can plan for the next few months, that you can travel with a physio, that’s extremely important,” said Niemeier.

Even though they played a Bundesliga game together for TC Bredeney from Essen this year, there hasn’t been a WTA duel between the two yet. Angelique Kerber won the last German encounter in a Wimbledon quarter-final in 2012 in three sets against Sabine Lisicki.

Barbara Rittner sees Niemeier slightly at an advantage

And this time, too, the German women’s national coach sees no clear favorite. “In the end it will be a close match with a very open outcome,” said Barbara Rittner of the German Press Agency. “In terms of play, I see Jule a bit ahead because she has an even stronger serve and is able to impose her game more on Tatjana,” said Rittner. On the other hand, this was also the case with the defeated Latvian Jelena Ostapenko in the round of 16. “Tatjana has shown impressively often enough that she outgrows herself. She will do everything to make it as difficult as possible for Jule.”

Annoying for both quarterfinalists: In the world rankings neither can benefit from their Wimbledon coup. Because of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, the organizers have excluded all Russian and Belarusian players. In response, the professional organizations ATP and WTA canceled the world ranking points for the tournament.

Ultimately, it will come down to both of them who has the best nerves on the big stage. Should she reach the semifinals in her second Grand Slam tournament, BVB supporter Niemeier can expect many congratulations again. “As a big Dortmund fan, I had to smile and of course I was happy,” she said of news from Nico Schlotterbeck and Mats Hummels. “I didn’t expect before the tournament that I would be sitting here with so many people knowing my name.” On Tuesday there could be a few more.