Jule Niemeier against Tatjana Maria: For both players it will be the biggest match of their careers so far, only one makes it into the Wimbledon semi-finals. But there is no trace of rivalry between the two Bundesliga colleagues, who played a game together for TC Bredeney in Essen, before the duel on Tuesday.
Above all, Niemeier speaks admiringly of her twelve-year-old opponent, who travels the world with kith and kin. “I take my hat off to how they do it as a family because I find it incredible to travel with two children,” said Niemeier: “Here they are, Charles and she, completely alone.” That must be “very stressful”.
For Maria, it’s everyday life, she and her husband Charles Edouard are “very flexible” and the two daughters Charlotte and Cecilia are “the best children in the world” anyway.
Maria is also relaxed about the German duel: “We often play against people we like. I think we can both do well, try to do our best and then everything is fine again.”