Kerber packs off Venus
Sydney, Jan. 10: Former world number one Angelique Kerber says she is looking for more confidence- boosting matches ahead of next week’s Australian Open after knocking Venus Williams out of the Sydney International.
The German overcame a first- set fade- out to beat the American second seed 5- 7, 6- 3, 6- 1 late on Tuesday and continue her 2018 revival.
The two- time Grand Slam champion remains unbeaten in six matches this year following last week’s Hopman Cup mixed- teams campaign in Perth and now meets Dominika Cibulkova in Thursday’s quarter- final.
Kerber started 2017 ranked world number one but by the end of the season had slumped to 21, and she headed into the Sydney event ranked 22.
Now the left- hander is looking for a run of matches to further restore her confidence heading into the year’s opening Grand Slam tournament.
“Yes, not looking back anymore. I’m happy how the year starts. I have been doing a lot of work,” said the 29- year- old.
“I’m just looking forward to have a lot of matches before going to Melbourne, and now I have another one.
“Let’s see how many I will get. But this is a goal to playing matches and going with a lot of confidence to Melbourne.”
Kerber started the first set stronger and looked to have Williams’s measure with a 5- 3 lead and two set points before the world number five rallied.
Williams, the seventimes Grand Slam champion a finalist at the Australian Open last year went on to take the opening set.
But Kerber fought back strong as Williams struggled with her service.
The German levelled the match and swept to a 5- 0 lead in the decider, Williams rallied again before she succumbed to the inevitable on fifth match point, when she sent a backhand return. TOUGH TIME FOR
KONTA Johanna Konta admitted she was facing “challenges” at the start of the season but insisted she would take the positives after injury and an early defeat cast a cloud over her Australian Open preparations.
The British world number nine, who made the Melbourne Park semis in 2016 and the quarters last year, was bundled out of the Sydney International in the first round by Agnieszka Radwanska 63, 7- 5 on Tuesday.
It followed her withdrawal from the Brisbane International quarterfinals with an injury.
While her hip held up against Radwanska, whom she beat in last year’s Sydney final, Konta was undone by 44 unforced errors.
“The positives I’m taking from the match is that my hip was good, I’m healthy,” said the Sydneyborn player, who is a fan favourite in Australia.
“And it was a positive for me to have such a challenging match so early in the season,” She added, “still a lot of challenges that I will be facing these next few weeks, and to really try and find the way that I want to play. I’m also looking forward to that.” — AFP