Barbara Rittner continues to count on top player Angelique Kerber in the Fed Cup semi-finals against the Czech Republic on 21/22 March. April.
“Angie said from the beginning that she wanted to give up the first game because she has a new team. She always said that she would be available again in April,”said Rittner, Head of Women’s Tennis at the DTB, at a press conference in Kamen on Saturday. In the surprising 3-2 win against host Belarus in Minsk two weeks ago, Germany’s two-time Grand Slam winner Kerber (Kiel) and Germany’s number two Julia Görges (Bad Oldesloe) were missing.
A few days later, Görges (29) had confirmed her promise for the semi-final, which will probably be held in Stuttgart, in an interview at the WTA Tournament in Doha, Görges (29), who said:”I’m definitely there,”said the world number eleven and emphasized:”I think anyone who knows me well knows me, knows that I’m very fond of playing for my country in the Fed Cup. It’s always something special.”
Kerber has not yet made a concrete statement, but after their semi-final defeat in Dubai on Friday against top seeded Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) announced:”I will now decide this in the next few days” Observers assume, of course, that the 30-year-old will return to Porsche Team Germany. Especially from 23. April the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix will take place in Stuttgart, which Kerber has already won twice.
The DTB team had lost the Fed Cup Final 2014 in Prague 1:3 against the Czech Republic. In the other semifinals in April France and record winner USA will face each other. In my opinion, all four semi-finalists have the same chances. But it’s nice to play at home. And it’s great for our fans that we are playing against a tennis nation like the Czech Republic. Only the best sport can really be expected,”said Auckland winner Görges.