US Open: Angelique Kerber is in the round of 16
Angelique Kerber moved into the round of 16 of the US Open 2020: The three-time major winner defeated Ann Li from the USA 6: 3 and 6: 4. Kerber will play either Jennifer Brady or Carolina Garcia on Sunday.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Sep 04, 2020, 08:18 pm
If you only play three games against Alison Riske, you have to know exactly what she's doing on the tennis court. And so Angelique Kerber was warned about the 20-year-old American Ann Li, who had put her more experienced compatriot so clearly in her place in round two. An early break was therefore good from Kerber's point of view, who was allowed to play against Ajla Tomljanovic at the Louis Armstrong Stadium on the hottest day of the tournament so far, as in round one.
Kerber, 2016 winner of Flushing Meadows, presented. And gave her opponent almost no chance of a comeback. The only break ball Lis fended off Kerber. After a little more than half an hour, the German number one had won the first round 6: 3.
Kerber versus Garcia or Brady
In their first two games Kerber hadn't made a set, Li took the deficit to some extent. Especially with the forehand, the outsider was able to put Kerber under pressure, and Li did not shy away from going to the net. Hardly anyone on the women's tour plays better on the defensive than the German number one, which repeatedly caused the outsider to take too much risk. Kerber made the break to 3-1. And in the following game fended off a breakball from her opponent with a courageous smash. Li took the second chance but kept her serve to 3: 3.
After that, Li worked out three more options with Kerber's serve, but forgave them with sometimes downright sloppy mistakes. And so it was Angelique Kerber who got the break in the last game of the match to 6: 4.
In the interview after the match, Kerber praised her opponent's forehand, in the second set it was all about concentration.
In the round of 16 on Sunday either Jennifer Brady or Caroline Garcia is waiting for Kerber. Garcia defeated tournament favorite Karolina Pliskova in round two, Brady in Lexington won the first WTA tournament in the USA after the resumption of play in the USA.