Tennis - Kerber eliminated from Wimbledon - Zverev wins unchallenged
Alexander Zverev began his quest for his long-awaited first Grand Slam title with an untroubled opening win, as Angelique Kerber suffered yet another disappointment at Wimbledon following her comeback as a mother. While Zverev easily defeated Roberto Carballes Baena 6:2, 6:4, 6:2, Kerber's return to the London grass courts proved disappointing as she was defeated by Julia Putintseva 5:7, 3:6. For Kerber, the vague hope that Wimbledon would mark a turnaround in her dismal Grand Slam record with losses in all her appearances this year was not realized. She also lost in the first round at the Australian Open and French Open.
Kerber's poor start and lack of self-confidence
Facing an uncomfortable opponent in Putintseva, Kerber had a poor start and trailed 0:3 before regaining her footing in the match. She continued to make errors, shaking her head disapprovingly, and grumbled to herself. Her lack of self-confidence was apparent. German fans' encouragement did little to help. Putintseva earned significantly more direct points. After 78 minutes, Kerber was forced to pack her bags in disappointment once again.
Zverev, however, was in high spirits. Following Jan-Lennard Struff and Daniel Altmaier, Zverev became the third German participant in the Men's competition to advance to the third round.
Comfort from his nephew after Paris loss
"I'm happy with how I started the tournament," Zverev said, chatting casually about how his younger nephew had consoled him following his French Open final loss in Paris. His nephew had expressed his intention to win a Grand Slam title in the next generation. That remains a significant goal for the world number four.
For the first time, Zverev feels like a genuine title contender at Wimbledon. He revealed that he had decided early in his career to hate grass, but now felt differently. "If I can catch two great weeks here, I can achieve a lot on these beautiful courts," Zverev said.
He feels better on grass this year and hopes to demonstrate that in the upcoming matches. His next opponent, Marcos Giron from the United States, may present a sterner test.
Siegemund improves German women's record
Among the women, Tatjana Maria's special feeling of Wimbledon was history, just as it was for Kerber two years after her sensational semi-final run. Jule Niemeier had to wait for her debut match. Her game was postponed due to rain.
Only Laura Siegemund brightened the otherwise gloomy record of the German women with her second-round victory. She remained unfazed by the two rain delays and convincingly defeated Kateryna Baindl of Ukraine 6:4, 6:1. Siegemund took the rain interruptions in stride. "That's just normal here, with rain interruptions. If that bothers you, you're in the wrong place," commented the doubles specialist.
In the fight to make it to the third round, the Metzger woman faces a significantly harder task against Wimbledon champion of 2022, Jelena Rybakina from Kazakhstan. "There's not much tactics against such people. It's about holding up against the massive pressure that comes with the serve and return," said Siegemund: "I don't have anything to lose – not on grass in particular. It's beyond question that she's a World Class player."
Olympic Doubles: Kerber / Siegemund
After her win, Siegemund announced that she would be playing doubles with Kerber at the Olympics. "I spoke to Angie on the phone, and she said she'd be happy to play with me," said the Metzger woman (36). "She'd only play doubles if she really had medal prospects and if she could really make a difference. And that was the best option for me." The Olympics is the next big goal for Kerber this summer. She'll have to adjust again to the sand court, which she's less fond of.
- Angelique Kerber's disappointing performance at Wimbledon mimicked her previous struggles in Grand Slam tournaments, such as the Australian Open and French Open, all held in different international cities: London, Melbourne, and Paris.
- Julia Putintseva celebrated her opening victory over Kerber on the hallowed lawns of Wimbledon, adding another notable name to her list of Grand Slam tournament conquests.
- The German tennis scene saw mixed fortunes, with Alexander Zverev flaunting confidence after his easy victory at Wimbledon, while Kerber continued to struggle, her motherly role possibly influencing her performance on the court.
- Zverev's journey to the third round in Wimbledon marked the third consecutive German participant to progress in the Men's competition, following Jan-Lennard Struff and Daniel Altmaier.
- German doubles specialist Laura Siegemund managed to salvage a modicum of pride for the German women's tennis team, eventually progressing to the second round of Wimbledon, defeating Kateryna Baindl of Ukraine.
- Alexander Zverev expressed optimism for his Wimbledon campaign, looking back at his past disdain for grass courts and now anticipating a successful tournament, despite potential challenges from players such as Marcos Giron from the United States.
- The German-Kazakhstani doubles pair of Kerber and Siegemund revealed their plans to compete together at the upcoming Olympics, aiming to improve their medal prospects and showcase their formidable skills on the sand courts in Paris.
- Putintseva's dominance in singles continued at Wimbledon, as she successfully defended her lead against Kerber, capitalizing on the German's lack of self-confidence and incapacitation in the face of her recent Grand Slam tournament setbacks.
- Determined to maintain her momentum, Siegemund acknowledged the stiff opposition awaiting her in the third round, as she faces Jelena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, in their upcoming match, promising to represent Germany with resilience and grit.
