Fans to feast on clash of champions
IT’S the match-up that has tennis fans around the world salivating. If Maria Sharapova and Angelique Kerber were to have been meeting in the final next Saturday as opposed to today, nobody would have been surprised.
But as unseeded Sharapova continues her rankings climb after her return from that doping ban, it is Kerber who is the next unlucky seed who may potentially slip up on the ultimate banana skin floating through the women’s draw.
Both Sharapova and Kerber are past Australian Open champions — Sharapova in 2008, Kerber in 2016.
And both are considered leading chances to win here again, with TAB listing the German and Russian as $8 chances to win the title, with only Elina Svitolina and Karolina Pliskova at shorter odds.
But one thing is for sure — one of them won’t survive the day. And though the prospect of taking on the 21st seed appears daunting, at least on paper, world No. 48 Sharapova says she knew what she was getting herself into coming to Melbourne Park.
“I came in with no ranking ... so I know I’m going to be facing seeded players, first, second, third round,” Sharapova said. “She just happens to be the next one that’s in the draw that I have to play.
“I look forward to these matches. I want to be playing against opponents that have former grand slam champions. She’s had success here. She’s had success playing out here in these conditions on these courts. I want to see where I am on that level.”
Sharapova leads the pair’s head-to-head record 4-3, but with Sharapova out, the last time they met was in 2015 on clay in Stuttgart where Kerber won in three sets.