Australian Open: Matchballs awarded: Strong Kerber misses final

Angelique Kerber missed the Australian Open final after a great fight and a real nerve-racking battle. In a high-class semi-final, the Kieler lost 3-6,6-4,7-9 against top seeded Romanian Simona Halep and missed two match points in the third set. Kerber thus claimed her first defeat in 2018 after 14 consecutive victories.

From Ulrike Weinrich from Melbourne

Kerber had a classic false start in their sixth Grand Slam semi-final since 2011. The 30-year-old had to give up her first service game and made three easy mistakes. Halep, however, did not give Kerber easy points and seemed to be in top shape after her ankle injury at the beginning of the tournament.

Of the first 25 points of the game, the Kiel-based player won only five – and was trailing 0:5 in no time at all. Only then did she celebrate her first game win and, after two breaks, reduced her score again to 3:5. But in contrast to the previous games, Kerber had to leave the initiative to her opponent again and again. It is symptomatic that Halep, with her twelfth unforced error, made it possible to win the set after only 25 minutes.

Kerber, who had landed her first major coup two years ago in Melbourne Park, then left the field to prepare for the second set. But here, too, she ran long after the first lead in vain. Halep, who does not have a supplier contract in Australia, played her corner game and let the former number one run long distances. Kerber struggled, but became increasingly frustrated as Halep hardly revealed any weaknesses. When the Germans equalized 1-1, she showed her fist and shouted:”Come on now!”

Initially, the wake-up call only had a limited effect. Though the match was now more evenly matched, Halep could not be misled when Kerber could equalize after a 3-1 deficit. The Romanian won the next service game at zero – and thus the “ominous” seventh game – but “Angie” struck back, taking off the serve in the now ever more high-class match and turning her third set ball into a equaliser shortly afterwards. Her new coach Wim Fissette looked much more confident in the pits.

In the decisive round, Kerber, who often played her opponent on the backhand side of the field, scored a 1-0 break with an incredible mileage after a marathon ball change. But Halep didn’t let up.”What am I supposed to do,”Kerber shouted in the meantime. The spectators were thrilled by the exciting exchange of blows. Halep went into the lead 5:3, but then missed two match points in a row at 5:4. Kerber equalled out, but could not use two match points on the 6:5 and his own serve.

Although both players were marked by the strains of the world class game in the Australian summer, the quality hardly deteriorated. The decisive break was won by Halep after 2:20 hours.

The 26-year-old Halep will meet Caroline Wozniacki (27) in the final of the Happy Slam on Saturday at 7.30 pm OZ/9.30pm. The Dane had defeated Elise Mertens in the first semi-final on Thursday with 6:3,7:6 (7:2). Neither Wozniacki nor Halep have won a major title so far. With a win,”Caro” could also push the Romanian from the top of the ranking.

Kerber has always blocked the questions about her role as the tournament’s favourite, and in the last few days Kerber said:”I’m not putting up any more pressure, I made it last year,”she said like a prayer wheel,”and that was what stood in my way most of all,” Despite her first missed Grand Slam finale since September 2016, the 30-year-old is on her way back and will be back after the event at the Yarra.