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Tatjana Maria, 34, stunned Jelena Ostapenko in the Wimbledon last-16 and made tennis history in the process as she is now the oldest woman in the Open Era to make a Wimbledon quarterfinal debut. Maria had her back turned against the wall and was facing an elimination but somehow was able to produce a stunning comeback and edge out 12th-seeded Ostapenko 5-7 7-5 7-5.
Ostapenko was up by a set and a break before Maria stormed back to win in three sets. In the 10th game of the second set, Maria saved two consecutive match points and then also won the following two games to force a decider.
Ostapenko started the second set with an early break and a 2-0 lead but Maria managed to recover and complete a stunning comeback win. In 2021 July, Maria returned to tennis following a second maternity leave.
Maria after stunning Ostapenko
"There's always the belief that I can do it.
I mean, that's why I came back after the first one. It's why I came back after the second one. If not, if I don't believe I can do these things, then I would not be here. So there's always this believing and keep going and improving and trying my best at the end," Maria explained, per the WTA website.
"It's also really hard work. It's not coming from nowhere, let's say. We are outside on the court every day. We are working. Yeah, like I said, we are trying to improve. But maybe in myself there's this feeling now, OK, I can do it, I can go for it.
Sometimes little things can change a whole match. It's really little parts." Maria now has a good chance of reaching her first Wimbledon semifinal as she plays next fellow compatriot Jule Niemeier. Niemeier is also having a great Wimbledon and it will be interesting who of the two Germans will reach the semifinal.