Kerber an inspiration for WTA bridesmaids
MELBOURNE: Angelique Kerber’s sudden emergence as a Grand Slam champion is an inspiration to the other players who are regulars in the top 10 but have yet to bag one of the major prizes, Agnieszka Radwanska said on Saturday.
The German had enjoyed marginal Slam success with a couple of semi-final appearances to her name over a nine-year span before she stunned the world and Serena Williams to capture the Australian Open crown last year.
The 28-year-old opens her Melbourne Park title defence as world No 1 this week having proved last year’s triumph was no fluke by also claiming the US Open title and reaching the Wimbledon final.
“I think this is big inspiration for everyone,” Radwanska, third seed at Melbourne Park, said on Saturday. “Winning two Grand Slams the same year, other couple big finals. That’s for sure something amazing.” She has reached only one Major final.
Simona Halep, the Romanian fourth seed, has also played and lost a solitary Grand Slam final, as has Slovakian sixth seed Dominika Cibulkova, who was runner-up in Melbourne to China’s Li Na in 2014 but arrives this year as the WTA Finals champion.
DETERMINED SERENA
A glowing Serena said she’s so focused on trying to win another Grand Slam she hasn’t let her engagement to Redd i t co-found er Alexis Ohanian sink in.
A she attempts break Steffi Graf’s Open era-record, she isn’t allowing her personal life to interfere. “I’ve said from the beginning, I just didn’t want to think about it until after Australia because Grand Slams mean a lot to me.”