Kerber driven by past failures

LOST TWICE IN FIRST ROUND OF SLAMS

Angelique Kerber became the first German woman to win Wimbledon for 22 years on Saturday but insisted the seeds of her shock triumph over Serena Williams were sown during a miserable 2017 season.

This time last year, Kerber was knocked out in the fourth round following a first-round exit at Roland Garros.

Another first-round loss at the US Open, where she was defending champion, contributed to her ending the year at 21 in the world, her lowest ranking in six seasons.

“I think without 2017 I couldn’t have won this tournament,” said the 30-year-old Kerber after seeing off Williams 6-3, 6-3.

“I think I learned a lot from last year, with all the expectations, all the things I went through.

“I learned so many things about myself, about the things around, how to deal with this, how to make my day schedule.

“Now I try to enjoy every single moment.”

This year has reflected that new approach.

Now with coach Wim Fissette, who has worked with the likes of Victoria Azarenka, Simona Halep and Kim Clijsters, she captured the Sydney title in January and made the semifinals at the Australian Open and last-eight at Roland Garros.

Saturday’s victory was Kerber’s third title at the Slams – all coming after her 28th birthday.

She stunned Williams in the 2016 Australian Open final to claim her first Grand Slam title.

Six months later she was runner-up to Williams at Wimbledon before adding a second career Slam at the US Open with victory over Karolina Pliskova.

Before her breakthrough at the 2016 Australian Open, she had played 31 Slams with runs to the semifinals at the 2011 US Open and 2012 Wimbledon representing her best performances.

Kerber, her country’s first women’s champion at the All England Club since Steffi Graf in 1996, admitted that her late career surge was due to a fear of time running out.

Though he put up a fight with regular partner Michael Venus of New Zealand, South African player Raven Klaasen settled for the runner-up spot in the men’s doubles final at Wimbledon on Saturday.

Klaasen and Venus, who entered the tournament as the No 13 seeds, fell to the American pairing of Mike Bryan and Jack Sock in the title decider.

Bryan and Sock, the No 7 seeds, handed them a 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 defeat to lift the crown. – Wesley Botton