Two matches, two defeats, no semi-finals: Angelique Kerber’s disappointing season ended with another disillusionment at the B World Championships in Zhuhai. Now we must draw the right conclusions for 2018.
The longed-for success did not end a disappointing and messed up season. Angelique Kerber grabbed her seven things one last time and left the Centre Court with her head lowered and down. Ready for a holiday is hardly possible.
“I’m happy that the year is finally over,”Kerber said after the 3-6,4-6 win in the final group game of the WTA Elite Trophy against Ashleigh Barty of Australia (No. 9) and said:”I’ll try not to think so much about tennis in the near future and then start with anticipation into the preparation for 2018”.
The scenes of the flighty departure from Zhuhai’s Hengqin Tennis Center were symbolic for a whole year, which the former number one would most likely want to erase from her memory. For the first time in five years Kerber will no longer be in the top 20.
Two defeats, no set win, missed the semi-finals of the so-called B World Championships in spite of support from the shooters – the final appearance in China ensured that she will start her frustrated holiday in China.
With a two-match win over Barty, Kerber could have made it to the final round despite their opening defeat against Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (3-6,6-3,2-6). But a few highlights in the duel with former professional cricket player Barty were not enough.
However, Kerber can’t switch to holiday mode completely, but he can’t. In the next few days, there will be further meetings with her team in preparation for the upcoming season. Perhaps the two-time Major-winner will also be looking for a personal interview with Steffi Graf.
The odds are good. The icon is on location in Zhuhai as the patron of the event – and could give Kerber valuable tips in a tricky situation.
Not only Boris Becker thinks Graf is a valuable Kerber whisperer,”I think Steffi would like to help without anyone noticing,”said the three-time Wimbledon winner recently to SID.
Barbara Rittner also has some other advice for her problem child Kerber:”Angie should hide the years 2016 and 2017 completely. These were two extreme seasons,”said Rittner, Head of Women’s Tennis at the DTB, and said:” She is not allowed to compete in 2016, but should rather think of the many years before that, in which she has consistently played at the top of the world.
Torben Beltz will undoubtedly also be on trial. With the coach, who has known the left-handed woman since her youth, Kerber won her two Grand Slam titles last season and experienced her great moment.
But this time the 29-year-old finished her tennis year without winning the title. At the French Open and the US Open, the final was already in the first round, at the Australian Open and in Wimbledon, Kerber reached the last sixteen.
One statistic in particular, however, was particularly significant in the following year: while Kerber won 24 matches against top-20 opponents in 2016, she only managed to win one match (with twelve defeats) against this category of players. In 2017, she had a total of 29:24 victories – in her dream season, 64:19 victories were achieved.