Jule Niemeier and Tatjana Maria not only have the chance to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in Wimbledon.
The leap into the top eight in the classic lawn also involves entry into an elite circle, the so-called “Last 8 Club”. “He was already joking,” said Niemeier about her coach Christopher Kas, “that there is only one win left. He’s in it too.”
All singles quarterfinalists, doubles semifinalists and mixed finalists will be admitted to the Last 8 Club at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Membership entitles you to visit the tournament for life, taking a guest with you and occupying special seats on Center Court and Court 1. There is also complimentary tea and coffee and Happy Hour every day from 6pm to 7pm.
“It’s very, very difficult to get tickets here,” said Kas, who had reached the doubles semifinals in 2011, and added with a smile: “That’s why our goal is for Jule to make it into the last eight, then we’ll have next We’ve had a lot more tickets this year and then we can invite more people if we really attack.”
Niemeier earlier than expected among the best 16
Earlier than expected, Niemeier made it into the top 16 and will meet Brit Heather Watson in her first Wimbledon appearance at 2:30 p.m. (CEST). As hoped, the 22-year-old from Dortmund is allowed to play against the local hero on Center Court. “It’s an honour. It’s one of the biggest stages on the tour, that’s why you play tennis,” said Niemeier, full of anticipation.
Maria’s game against number 12 seeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko starts half an hour earlier in the second largest stadium. The 34-year-old has come as far as never before in her 35th Grand Slam participation. If it doesn’t work out with the quarter-finals and thus the admission to the “Last 8 Club”, Maria would already have a plan B given the talent of her eight-year-old daughter Charlotte: “I hope that my daughter will play here at some point, then I would be with them my daughter here.”