Kerber fresh for clash against in-form Pliskova after Jabeur pulls out
Angelique Kerber is accustomed to drifting beneath the radar. For last year’s Wimbledon final, Tiger Woods, Lewis Hamilton and the Duchess of Sussex all gathered in expectation of an eighth title for their friend Serena Williams, only to see her swatted aside by the German in just 65 minutes.
This time, Kerber finds her thunder stolen by Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, the newly minted world No1, but there is every sign in Eastbourne of her grass-court game finding its groove once more. She secured her place in today’s final against Karolina Pliskova with a minimum of bother, after Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur withdrew with an ankle injury. But Kerber has already shown enough on these lawns, especially in her straight-sets squashing of Simona Halep, to suggest that her defence of the Venus Rosewater Dish is gathering pace.
Not even the prospect of an arduous opening match at Wimbledon, against compatriot Tatjana Maria – another aficionado on this surface, who reached the last eight 12 months ago – could deter her.
“It can be a little bit tricky playing a fellow German, but I have done it so often now,” she shrugged. “The most important thing is to find my rhythm.”
For Kerber, only the French Open is missing from her major collection, and she cherishes the memory of all three slam triumphs that she has achieved to date, handstitching symbols of a kangaroo, Big Ben and the Statue of Liberty on to her racket bag.
Before she can even consider a fourth adornment, she must negotiate the formidable obstacle of Pliskova, aware that she has already lost two Eastbourne finals.
Pliskova looked imperious yesterday as she swept aside Holland’s Kiki Bertens 6-1, 6-2 in under an hour, unleashing 21 winners and dominating on serve throughout.
Despite having lost to Bertens in the fourth round of Wimbledon last year, she showed not a trace of inhibition here. “I feel I was playing much more freely, and I went for it a bit more,” Pliskova said.
“I’m just pleased that I made it. I didn’t use up too much energy, or too much time on court.”
The impression grows that Pliskova, the world No3, could be steeling herself for her first serious Wimbledon tilt. It is a curious anomaly of her career that she has only been beyond the second round once in seven attempts.
Did she, after this dismantling of her opponent, believe that she was in the form of her life? “Maybe,” she smiled.