Tatjana Maria has made tennis history at Queen's Club on Sunday after defeating Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-4 to become the venue's first women's champion in 52 years.
The 37-year-old German qualifier is the first champion since Olga Morozova won in 1973.
Maria sealed victory when Anisimova's forehand sailed wide after an hour and 24 minutes.
The German immediately threw her arms skyward in disbelief before the pair shared a warm embrace at the net.
She then sprinted to her player box to celebrate with her husband and coach Charles-Edouard Maria and their two daughters, 11-year-old Charlotte and four-year-old Cecilia, who had slept through the match in her pushchair.
Maria's path to glory seemed near-impossible when she arrived at Queen's Club on a nine-match losing streak and ranked 86th in the world.
The mother-of-two began her campaign in the qualifying rounds, where she built crucial momentum before embarking on an extraordinary giant-killing spree.
Over nine gruelling days, she toppled four top-20 opponents in succession, dropping just one set across seven matches.
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Her victims included reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys, 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina, and Karolina Muchova.
"When we arrived here, my little girl said 'Wow, that's a nice trophy' and I said 'OK, let's go for it'," Maria told BBC Sport after her victory.
"In the end, I've won it - it's incredible. Everything is possible if you believe in it."
Maria's unconventional playing style proved perfectly suited to grass courts, bamboozling a succession of elite opponents throughout the week.
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The German secured an early break in the first set before Anisimova levelled with a thumping backhand winner, but the German immediately broke back when her opponent netted a forehand.
The second set saw Maria break at the first opportunity, then survive a marathon fourth game featuring seven deuces whilst saving two break points.
Serving for the championship at 5-4, Maria held her nerve to close out the match to 30.
After writing "Queen of Queen's" on the camera lens, she reflected: "You go your way, doesn't matter what it is, but you have to keep going. It's amazing."
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Maria's victory makes her the oldest WTA 500 champion in history, surpassing Serena Williams, who won the Auckland title.
Reflecting on the win, she said: "It means a lot to me, because I'm 37 years old and I won this trophy today.
"I'm super proud of myself that I could win this tournament, because I always believed, and my husband too."
The triumph will catapult Maria from 86th to 43rd in the world rankings when they update on Monday.
Despite turning 38 in two months, Maria confirmed she plans to continue for at least two more years, hoping to play doubles with Charlotte when she becomes eligible.
"I think the kids will probably want some crepes with Nutella!" she said of her celebration plans, though she is scheduled to compete at the Nottingham Open starting Monday.
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