Angelique Kerber -An “inhuman” victory as a statement
Angelique Kerber showed old fighting qualities in her three-set win against Sara Sorribes Tormo at Wimbledon. A lot is possible for the German number one.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Jul 02, 2021, 12:05 pm
His boss was just happily completing the relay race on the press, radio and television, when Angelique Kerber's eternal coaching companion Torben Beltz summarized the events of this memorable Thursday in a nutshell: "Inhuman" was the victory out there on Court 2 against the long, For a long time indomitable Spaniard Sara Torribes Tormo, the 7: 5, 5: 7, 6: 4 marathon thriller to the point of absolute exhaustion and boundless joy. Beltz acknowledged the assessment in the Twitter cosmos that it was "one of the best games" in Kerber's career with a "like" signature.
Kerber often appeared depressed and depressed in the turmoil of the corona pandemic, somehow she had lost herself and her fighter nature. But since spring, almost at the same time as the new spirit of optimism after the literal wave valleys, the 33-year-old from Kiel appears again filled with courage, courage and passion. “I feel: I can still do it. I'm incredibly happy and proud that I made it, ”said Kerber after the rousing three-sentence drama of the second round, the top match of the entire tournament so far. Especially the grass season and the game on the beloved greens have rekindled Kerber's spirits - the game against Sorribes Tormo seemed like a time travel for the Germans back to the Wimbledon years, in which they shaped and dictated the title fight at the forefront. “What a match for both players. What an appearance by Angie ", marveled former number one player Tracy Austin," that was an announcement to the competition. "
Kerber with the swing from Bad Homburg
Kerber's manager Aljoscha Thron called the appearance of the three-time Grand Slam queen “unbelievable”, as she perfectly picked up the momentum of the Bad Homburg tournament success. In fact, the re-energized DTB front woman seamlessly continued the energetic, gripping appearances in the Hessian spa town, Kerber fought his way through the crazy ups and downs of this outstanding Wimbledon duel without complaint and even put away a match point in the second set. 80 minutes later, again peppered with terrific, nerve-wracking exciting tennis, the 33-year-old marched across the finish line. Not even pain in the left wrist, caused by a bad grip of the racket, could ultimately stop them: “Nothing bad. That's what happened in all the excitement. ”To celebrate the day, after work she even stayed“ five minutes longer ”in the otherwise unloved ice bath.
Kerber's victory, her newly gained self-confidence and tennis attitude to life, also has to do with the man who died a thousand small deaths in the stands - with trainer Beltz. Kerber returned to him last year after previous alliances with Rainer Schüttler and Dieter Kindlmann had not brought the desired income. Beltz, who spreads good moods, has known Kerber since she was a teenager, and he kept coming back to her side as an indispensable figure. The 2016 season, the biggest season ever for Kerber - with victories at the Australian Open and the US Open and the jump to number 1 in the world rankings also fell during one of his terms of office at Kerber. Driver Beltz is convinced that Kerber can continue to play with the best in the scene, especially in locations with which she associates the best memories. And one of them is undoubtedly Wimbledon, the theater of tennis dreams.
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Had everything gone according to plan, Kerber would have had to face her old rival Serena Williams in the third round, the woman against whom she had won the Wimbledon final in 2018. Williams, however, has already retired due to injury, now Kerber will face Belarusian Aleksandra Sasnovich on Saturday. "I have to stay tuned, believe in myself, take the game into my own hands," says Kerber, "I want to stay a little longer." And how long it stays is decided by Kerber himself after a little eternity - in If the condition is still strong, it can go well into the second week of the tournament and does not have to hide from any other competitor. Wimbledon 2021 could be a wonderful thing - for and with Kerber. The old, new champion player.
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