Andrea Petkovic wins in a memorable thriller against Petra Kvitova. Angelique Kerber and Alexander Zverev are also on lap two in Melbourne after their opening successes.
On the big tennis stages Andrea Petkovic has long since stolen the show from others. Angelique Kerber, her once fat girlfriend, who catapulted herself to first place in the world ranking and two Grand Slam triumphs. Or Julia Görges, the other former ally, who is looking for top tennis goals in the shape of her life. Kerber, number 16 in the world, and Görges, number 12 in the world, are among the favourites at the Grand Slam festivities, and there’s no way around them for the title.
And Petkovic? It has sunk slowly, but almost inexorably downwards, winning only one Grand Slam match last year. In the meantime, the former gaming and spokeswoman of the German Miss Miracle is now only barely in the top 100 of the pecking order, right in 98th place. But nevertheless: What can replace one of those tennis rollercoaster rides with Petkovic, one of those crazy duels swaying between class and cramp, glamour and misery.
A memorable thriller as experienced on the second day of the Australian Open – from late afternoon to early evening, over two hours and 52 minutes. An entertainment hit with the proud and happy winner Petkovic, who was satisfied with herself and the world, who finally used her fourth match ball to take second place on the 6:3,4:6,10:8 victory over Petra Kvitova, now meets the American Lauren Davis.”It’s just a snapshot. But it is already a great satisfaction after the last year of the epidemic,”said Petkovic.
Kerber, the re-favorite and former winner, had long since played herself into the second round with a confident 6-0,6-4 win over compatriot Anna-Lena Friedsam, when the shrill tennis opera began with Drama-Queen Petkovic in the leading role and the two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova. It was a wild performance in three acts, often great, sometimes pitiful. It was also a war of nerves in all the turbulences and fluctuations, in the constantly new twists and turns of the script:”I don’t know myself how I kept my head up,”Petkovic later said,”I just kept thinking: Don’t think so much. And somehow it worked.”
In fact, her coolness in the heat of this tennis battle might already be amazing. Especially because Petkovic has already experienced terrible emotional collapses in comparable Grand Slam locations – real collapse situations, after which one did not know whether she would ever enter a tennis court again. But on this 16. On 1 January 2018 she set a big exclamation point for herself at this tournament, but perhaps also for the whole season.
Because she never, never, never gave up,”never wailed and howled”, even though she missed the biggest opportunity to achieve a prestigious success, and in the third set even melted a 4:0 and 40:15 lead together, missed three match points a short time later and suddenly stood there again with almost empty hands “An unbelievable energy performance”, recognized the lady department manager rightly.
All the more so, as Petkovic was confronted with a bitter defeat on several occasions, when the powerful Kvitova defeated 6:5 and 8:7 respectively. In the end, Petkovic didn’t have to do anything to celebrate a very special victory: With Kvitova’s tenth double error, the curtain fell for this tennis thriller with a German happy ending.
For the time being, the Grand Slam journey continues for the city dweller from Darmstadt, who is still dreaming of a comeback at the top of the world. And also wants to return to the top with all my might:”In the long run, standing at 100th place would not satisfy me. Inside Petkovic, as she herself says,” put the gun on her chest “:” When I see that it is not enough for certain purposes, then it is also good. Then I could let go.”
Kerber, the woman who was once saved from resignation by Petkovic himself, now has a special rendezvous in Melbourne. Because Thursday, her 30th birthday. On the occasion of her 50th birthday, the Kieler must take care that she does not accidentally try to establish contact with her closest, long-standing employee in the trainer’s box. Torben Beltz, the eternal man at her side, the man who made her number one, is now the coach of a certain Donna Vekic after the separation at the end of 2017.
And she’s Kerber’s second-round opponent, probably even on the Centre Court.”I’ll hide that. It’s all about the Kerber vs. Vekic game,”says Kerber. Alexander Zverev also survived his first-round task on Tuesday without much excitement, he now meets compatriot Peter Gojowczyk after 6:1,7:6 (7:5), 7:5 over the Italian Thomas Fabbiano.