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Australian Open: Angelique Kerber is eliminated against Kaia Kanepi on her birthday

Angelique Kerberhad to admit defeat to Estonian Kaia Kanepi in the first round of the Australian Open on her 34th birthday.

by SID
last edit: Jan 18, 2022, 11:39 am

Angelique Kerber was eliminated in lap one
© Getty Images
Angelique Kerber was eliminated in lap one

Angelique Kerber suffered a bitter first-round defeat at the Australian Open on her 34th birthday. The former world number one from Kiel lost against the also experienced Estonian Kaia Kanepi on Tuesday 4: 6, 3: 6. Kerber failed in the first round in Melbourne last year.

For the first time since 1977, there are no Germans in the second round at the Australian Open. On Monday, the other two German starters, Andrea Petkovic and Tatjana Maria, were eliminated.

Kerber lacks the rhythm

Kerber, tournament winner in 2016, had lowered her expectations before her 15th participation in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year after a disrupted preparation with a corona infection. She hadn't played a preparatory tournament in the run-up to the Australian Open - and against the 36-year-old Kanepi her lack of rhythm was noticeable.

But Kerber fought and caught up a 1:4 deficit in the first set. Just as she seemed to have arrived in the match, however, she again lost the thread and the sentence. Little went together in terms of play, but the fighting spirit was right.

At the beginning of the second round, Kerber fended off three breakballs, the match was like a roller coaster ride - the German number one even took the serve from the Estonian to make it 3: 2. But Kerber immediately gave up the advantage and lost the following four games.

To the women's individual tableau

laver arena

by SID

Tuesday
Jan 18, 2022, 11:39 am
last edit: Jan 18, 2022, 11:39 am