Qualifier Maria completes fairytale run to Queen’s title
LONDON: Tatjana Maria completed her fairytale run at Queen’s Club as the German qualifier beat American Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-4 in Sunday’s final to become the oldest winner of a WTA 500 event. The 37-year-old’s victory secured the fourth singles title of her career, and her first since 2023 on the clay in Bogota. World number 86 Maria is the first German to win a WTA 500 title since Angelique Kerber in 2018 in Sydney. In the first women’s tournament at Queen’s since 1973, Maria is the event’s first female champion since Russia’s Olga Morozova 52 years ago. When Morozova won in west London, the prize money was just £1,000 ($1,353). Maria banked a cheque for £120,000 and more importantly earned a huge confidence boost ahead of Wimbledon, which starts on June 30. The mother of two arrived at Queen’s on a nine-match losing streak and had to survive two rounds of qualifying matches to reach the main draw. Deploying her slice-heavy style to devastating effect, she stunned sixth seed Karolina Muchova, fourth seed Elena Rybakina and reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys en route to the final. Maria, who has taken two maternity breaks from the WTA Tour, has never been past the second round of any Grand Slam except Wimbledon, where she reached the semifinals in 2022. But once again she proved a formidable force on grass, brushing aside Anisimova to secure her second title on the surface as her husband and young daughters Charlotte and Cecilia watched from courtside. “A dream come true. I came here I was never thinking I could hold the trophy at the end,” Maria said. “When we arrived my little girl said: ‘Wow that’s a nice trophy, so big’ and I said: ‘OK let’s go for it, I will try to win it’.
