LONDON – In a surprising turn of events at the Queen’s Club semifinals on Saturday, Madison Keys was defeated in straight sets by the seasoned 37-year-old qualifier, Tatjana Maria. Maria, representing Germany and a mother of two, managed a commanding win over Keys, finishing 6-3, 7-6 (3), and securing her first victory in four encounters with the current Australian Open titleholder.
Maria’s impressive feat marks her as the oldest singles finalist on the WTA Tour since Serena Williams’s victory at the Auckland Classic in 2020 when she was 38. “You always have to keep going. You never can stop; it doesn’t matter how it goes,” Maria remarked after her match. “I love to play tennis, I love this sport, and we live for these special moments.”
Ranked No. 86 and a former Wimbledon semifinalist, Maria overcame No. 8 Keys, who, despite hitting 10 aces, couldn’t manage a break in the match. The top seeds continued to crash out of the tournament as Keys, the No. 2 seed, followed No. 1 Zheng Qinwen out of the competition. Zheng succumbed to No. 8 Amanda Anisimova from the U.S. with a scoreline of 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
The upcoming final promises to be memorable, as Anisimova and Maria last faced each other seven years ago. Anisimova expressed admiration for Maria’s accomplishments, saying, “It’s incredible to see what she’s doing and her family is so cute, seeing her kids coming everywhere. It’s really special for her, and it’s going to be a great final.”