Keys to Meet Maria in Eastbourne Decider, Humbert and Bergs Set Up Men’s Final
In an exciting session at Eastbourne, former Australian Open champion Madison Keys is set to go head-to-head with the experienced Tatjana Maria in the final after both players advanced due to their opponents’ retirements on Friday. The American, seeded second, showcased her dominance by claiming the first set against Croatia’s Petra Marcinko with a convincing score of 6-1, before Marcinko made the decision to withdraw prior to the onset of the second set.
At 31 years of age, Keys is determined to claim her third Eastbourne title, with her first WTA championship earned 12 years ago during the lead-up to Wimbledon. Following her recent performance, this marks her return to the finals after securing the runner-up position at the Trophee Clarins in Paris last month.
In the other semi-final, Tatjana Maria, now 38, initially started strong, winning the first set 6-1 against Jelena Ostapenko. However, as the second set progressed, she was trailing 2-1 when Ostapenko, the third seed from Latvia, withdrew from the match. Having claimed the grass-court title at Queen’s Club the previous year, Maria now stands one match away from adding another trophy to her collection, as she reaches her first final in 2026.
Madison Keys, currently ranked 27th in the world, faced Maria before in the Queen’s semi-finals in 2025, where she suffered defeat. The anticipation builds as fans look forward to witnessing this compelling match-up in the Eastbourne final.
Humbert and Bergs Set Up Men’s Final
In the men’s side of the tournament, French sixth seed Ugo Humbert and Belgium’s Zizou Bergs have disrupted what could have been an all-British final. Humbert, sitting at world number 30, asserted his prowess by overcoming Jack Draper, who has been battling injuries and was competing in his first tournament since April. In a match marked by intense conditions typical of the south coast, Humbert secured victory with a straight-sets score of 7-5, 6-3.
Draper, a former world number four now training under two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, aimed for his first final appearance since last year’s Madrid Open. Meanwhile, Bergs, currently ranked 48th, displayed resilience by coming from a set down to defeat Toby Samuel, who is ranked 142nd in the world, in their semi-final match. Bergs managed to clinch victory with the scores reading 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2.
As both Humbert and Bergs prepare for their final showdown, spectators are eager to see how the dynamics will play out in this climactic conclusion to the Eastbourne tournament.
