Jule Niemeier in Wimbledon: Fought through - and proud of it
Jule Niemeier (WTA No. 97) is in the round of 16 of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time after a hard-fought third round victory. The game didn't win a beauty award - which makes it all the more important.
by Florian Goosmann from Wimbledon
last edit: Jul 01, 2022, 09:05 pm
You've seen the "classics" too often: a player creates the big surprise, takes one of the top stars out of the tournament thanks to a spirited performance - and then goes out in the next game, apparently so much easier, without a sound .
Jule Niemeier had to master exactly this task on Friday morning in Wimbledon: After her 6: 4, 6: 0 victory over the world number three Anett Kontaveit, she now faced Lesia Tsurenko, just that seemingly feasible task as number 103 in the world.
To put it positively, the match was mixed: both players were visibly nervous, there were a total of 21 (!) breaks, or in other words: only 7 serves. Plus 72 mistakes without need. And in the end: It didn't matter at all. Niemeier won, she is in her first Wimbledon participation directly in the round of 16.
Jule Niemeier. Prepared for a "bad" match
What impressed: Niemeier remained extremely calm throughout the game, fully aware that what she and Tsurenko were setting off wasn't fireworks. The 22-year-old later clarified that this type of match had been discussed in detail beforehand.
Man: In particular she and her coach Christopher Kas, who couldn't stop grinning at the end of the match. "We talked beforehand about the fact that it will definitely happen that I won't perform again like I did against Kontaveit. That it depends on the mental side today. I'm very happy that I stayed mentally strong," said Niemeier afterwards .
In the end, Niemeier dropped her racket on the grass and almost forgot to take it with her - the referee had to point out that the club was still on the baseline. "It just felt like a stone fell in front of my heart," said Niemeier, who celebrated exuberantly after her victory over Kontaveit and actually just seemed relieved today. "Many expected me to win it quite easily today," Niemeier knew about the pressure, "but we adjusted to it."
Jule Niemeier: Now against Heather Watson - and the audience
Still winning bad games is the great art of tennis, because you play your best tennis on a limited number of days a year. "If you won against a top 10 player two days ago, you also want to win the next match," Niemeier knew. "Also to prove it to myself. So it was to be expected that things wouldn't go the way they did two days ago. But I won anyway and I'm sitting here as the winner. That's why I'm happy to take the situation with me."
In two days, a new situation could be waiting for the Dortmund player. She then meets Brit Heather Watson, who is also in the round of 16 at Wimbledon for the first time at the age of 30. The match will of course be scheduled on a large court, but the novelty: Watson will have the audience behind him, so Niemeier will have one more opponent.
It doesn't matter to her. If the game even takes place on Center Court, according to Niemeier, "then it would be an honour."
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