WTA: Mallorca: Angelique Kerber has to serve detention at the grass start

Angelique Kerber has to go into extra time at the start of the grass court season. The first-round game of the world ranking eleven at the 3rd Mallorca Open against Alison Riske (USA) was abandoned at 7:5, 2:6, 1:1 from the Kieler’s point of view due to darkness. It will continue on Wednesday.

By Ulrike Weinrich from Santa Ponsa/Majorca

In all three sets Kerber breaks in the first game. But qualifier Riske, number 61 in the ranking, proved to be an unpleasant opponent who played along at times.

In a 5-4 lead, Kerber made two double mistakes in her service game – which paved the way for Riske to break. But cheered on by the crowd, including many German tennis fans, Angie took the lead again and turned her sixth set ball after 56 minutes – with her first ace.

Riske then took advantage of her chances and was leading 4:2 after a break. Shortly afterwards, the Nuremberg finalist won the second round when Kerber made her fourth double fault.

Despite the increasingly poorer visibility on the sunny island, the game continued for the time being. But at the score of 1:1 the chair referee interrupted the match and postponed it to Wednesday.

Kerber, who failed in the quarter-finals of the French Open due to the later winner and industry leader Simona Halep (Romania), had made no secret in the past few days of the fact that she is thievingly looking forward to the lush green. “When I walked on the grass on the first day of training, it felt like home. It’s very different than on sand. And this change to grass is much easier for me – also from the movements.”

The 30-year-old had also been satisfied with her form over the past few days. “I’m definitely on the right track. I didn’t take much of a break after Paris because I wanted to take this feeling with me:’Okay, you did well on sand by your standards’. But of course I like grass much, much better than sand. That’s why I’ll try to show that joy on grass every day on the pitch,” Kerber had announced.