LONDON: Germany’s Tatjana Maria saved two match points to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon today.
The 34-year-old mother-of-two defeated former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 5-7, 7-5, 7-5 after battling back from 1-4 down in the second set.
Maria, ranked 103, fired nine aces and exploited Ostapenko’s all-or-nothing approach which resulted in 52 winners and 57 unforced errors for the Latvian.
Maria made her Wimbledon debut back in 2007, but had never previously got beyond the third round of a Grand Slam.
“It makes me so proud to be a mum – that’s the best thing in the world,” said Maria, who only returned from a second maternity leave less than a year ago.
“I love my kids. To be able to do it together, it makes this really special.”
Maria will face fellow German Jule Niemeier for a place in the semifinals.