Angelique Kerber cancels Sydney after corona infection - Australian Open apparently not in danger
Angelique Kerber only survived a corona infection in December. This is not the first time that the German number one is traveling to the first highlight of the tennis year under difficult conditions.
by SID
last edit: Jan 06, 2022, 06:37 pm
The virus is defeated, but the preparation for the Australian Open is mixed up again: Angelique Kerber has survived a corona infection and, like last year, is not going to the first Grand Slam tournament of the year under optimal conditions. This was announced by the former world number one on Thursday.
"Unfortunately, despite all the precautionary measures and a full vaccination, I tested positive for COVID-19 in December and then had to go into quarantine," Kerber told SID: "Although I only had a mild course, the corona-related training break forced me to to postpone my pre-season preparation. "
Kerber had to cancel her participation in the WTA tournament in Sydney, which should have served as preparation. On Friday, however, the three-time Grand Slam winner will travel to Melbourne, where she won the title in 2016. It remains to be seen in what form she will be able to participate from January 17th.
In any case, Kerber was unable to take the momentum from their "successful second half of the year" in 2021 with them as planned. "I can't remember the last time I went to a Grand Slam without a preparatory tournament," said the 33-year-old: "Physically, despite the short training phase, I feel quite good, but I have to be realistic about it without Match practice and training deficit will be difficult to play my best tennis. "
Medically, however, a start is safe. "Before I could get back into training, I did a complete medical check-up," said Kerber: "In the first few days I had to take it slowly, but now I'm quite happy with the progress of my training. As it is then will be under the extreme heat conditions in Australia, I'll have to wait and see. "
Last year, she was unlucky in the run-up to the first Grand Slam tournament of the year and had to be in strict quarantine in Melbourne after a corona case on her plane. Then she failed in the first round, but delivered strong results especially in the second half of the year with the tournament victory in Bad Homburg and the semi-finals in Wimbledon.