Julia Görges - Short working day in Linz
Julia Görges confidently moved into the second round at the WTA tournament in Linz. There is now a duel with her long-time Fed Cup colleague Andrea Petkovic.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Oct 08, 2019, 05:56 pm
By Jörg Allmeroth from Linz
Jens Gerlach has a lot to do these days, at the "Upper Austria Ladies" elimination games in Linz. Five German players reached the main field at the tournament in the 250cc category of the WTA, enough opportunity for the Fed Cup coach to make a few observations and evaluations - with a view to the Fed Cup match of the German selection next February in Brazil. Gerlach attaches importance to the fact that he is on a larger mission in Upper Austria as captain of the female national team.
But at the same time, the trainer takes special care of Julia Görges, the German number two - and Gerlach should have been right that the first working day of the 31-year-old world class player at the WTA event was somewhat uneventful. Gerlach watched relaxed on the edge of the center court as Görges came to a 6: 4, 6: 2 victory in the first round against the Russian Margarita Gasparjan, who was considered dangerous.
Görges against girlfriend Petkovic
Gerlach is now in a somewhat strange situation, although the DTB has temporarily turned him off to provide dedicated support for Görges at the tournaments in Linz and Luxembourg. But in the next game, Görges will face girlfriend and compatriot Andrea Petkovic - and Gerlach, the national coach, is then committed to objectivity. So he will have to be on neutral ground if, like last year, there is a duel between the two Germans - in 2018 Görges and Petkovic had already faced each other in round one.
Just like Petkovic and Görges, Laura Siegemund reached the second round - in a game that offered a crazy dramaturgy. In the 6: 2, 5: 7, 7: 5 win against the Italian Fiona Ferro, the Swabian had three match balls early. But after the victory points awarded in a 6: 2, 5: 4 lead (the German had to accept a net roller for the first match ball), the game rocked back and forth, the event was further fueled by some dubious arbitration and line judge decisions. Siegemund always scolded the referee, but stayed in the game despite new setbacks, even put a 2: 4 deficit in the third set and fended off two Ferro match balls. Her own fourth match ball finally brought her into the second round.