Billie Jean King Cup: Niemeier loses - Maria gives up
The German women's tennis team suffered their second defeat in a completely botched second group match at the Billie Jean King Cup.
After Jule Niemeier had lost the opening match of the group duel with France in Seville, Tatjana Maria had to retire shortly afterwards. The 36-year-old Swabian was leading 3:0 against Varvara Gracheva when she called the German team doctor over at the change of ends and decided not to continue.
One day after the 3-0 defeat against Italy, the next defeat was once again a foregone conclusion. As a result, team manager Rainer Schüttler's team finished last in the preliminary group at the final round of the team competition. The doubles no longer had any significance for the outcome of the match. Both teams no longer had a chance of reaching the semi-finals, with Italy already confirmed as the group winners.
Curious Maria match
In a curious match, Niemeier missed out on the first victory for the German women's tennis team at this year's finals. The 24-year-old from Dortmund lost to Clara Burel from France 4:6, 3:6. The match between Niemeier and Burel was of a very manageable standard, with only breaks in the first five games. Niemeier was the first player to get her serve through to 4:2, but after that the 2022 Wimbledon quarter-finalist didn't win another game in the first set.
When she allowed her opponent a set point with her twelfth double fault, Niemeier smashed her racket with two powerful blows to the ground. With a new racket, Niemeier, who had slipped to 162nd in the world rankings, immediately double-faulted again to win the set for the Frenchwoman. In the end, the statistics recorded 15 double faults for the German, and Burel's serve also wobbled considerably (8).
Despite the German team's struggles, Billie Jean King Cup participant Tatjana Maria showcased a strong start against Varvara Gracheva, leading 3-0. Regrettably, she had to withdraw, representing another setback for the DTB team.
In light of DTB's challenges, Maria's performance in the Tennis singles match at the Billie Jean King Cup was a noteworthy highlight, despite the eventual loss.
Source: www.dpa.com
