Tennis - Kerber loses opening match in Berlin - Niemeier also out
Tennis player Angelique Kerber suffered a first-round loss at her long-awaited return to grass courts after her maternity leave at the top-seeded WTA 500 tournament in Berlin.
The 36-year-old lost to Czech player Linda Noskova in the Steffi Graf Stadium with a score of 6:7 (4:7), 6:2, 4:6, missing out on the quarterfinals. Noskova (19) converted her first match point after two hours of play.
"Of course I'm disappointed because I felt good," Kerber said: "Especially here in Berlin, it would have been nice if I could have played a few more matches." Overall, she was satisfied: "I tried to play aggressively and felt good on the grass." She took "many positive things" from the loss, the Kiel native said, "for example, that I can still keep up at a high level. I've seen in the last few weeks and today that I'm close."
Previously, Jule Niemeier from Dortmund had failed at the grass event in Grunewald in the first round. The 24-year-old had to give in to last year's finalist Donna Vekic from Croatia despite an initially strong performance with a score of 6:1, 1:6, 3:6.
The $922,573 preparatory tournament for Wimbledon in the singles event is thus proceeding without German participation. The traditional tournament is highly classified with eight players from the Top Ten. "We have a Grand Slam field," said Tournament Director Barbara Rittner.
Kerber will next compete at the tournament in Bad Homburg, where she also serves as tournament ambassador. After that, the former world number one will appear at the Rasen-Classic in Wimbledon starting July 1. She celebrated her third and last Grand Slam triumph there in 2018.
After her third-round exit in 2022 in London, Kerber had taken an 18-month maternity leave following the birth of her daughter Liana. She returned to the tour at the turn of the year and has been fighting for a place in the extended world elite since then.
- Angelique Kerber, after her opening defeat in Berlin, expressed disappointment despite a good performance on the grass courts, stating, "Of course I'm disappointed because I felt good."
- Linda Noskova, a 19-year-old Czech player, secured her victory over Kerber in the Steffi Graf Stadium, converting her first match point after two hours of play.
- Jule Niemeier from Dortmund also suffered an opening defeat at the grass event in Grunewald, losing to last year's finalist Donna Vekic from Croatia.
- The WTA 500 tournament in Berlin, which serves as a preparatory tournament for Wimbledon, is currently proceeding without any German participation.
- For Kerber, her next competition will be at the tournament in Bad Homburg, where she also serves as tournament ambassador.
- Kerber celebrated her third and last Grand Slam triumph at Wimbledon in 2018 and will return to the Rasen-Classic there starting July 1.
- After her maternity leave following the birth of her daughter Liana, Kerber returned to the tour at the turn of the year and has been fighting for a place in the extended world elite since then.
