WTA Finals: Angelique Kerber – “I have given absolutely everything”

Angelique Kerber is in charge of her own destiny before her last group game at the WTA finals in Singapore. Even in the event of a defeat, the German number one could make it into the semi-finals.

Singapore/Frankfurt. It was a feat of strength, an exhausting marathon over a long two and a half hours. But after the next World Cup thriller full of turbulences and moments of tension, Wimbledon Queen Angelique Kerber remains in the big game for the last title of this memorable season 2018: With the hard-fought 6:4, 5:7, 6:4 victory over US Open surprise winner Noami Osaka, the German can once again hope for a semi-final place at the Singapore Championships.

“I gave absolutely everything that was possible,” said Kerber after the thriller, in which she had already served once to victory at 6:4 and 5:4, but then again had to take a detour via a third set of decisions.

The 7:6, 2:6, 6:3 victory of the American Sloane Stephens against Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) in the second group match makes the qualification race before the last match day on Friday once again the case for the higher tennis mathematics. It is clear that nothing is clear so far, all four players can still fight their way to the semi-finals. Kerber has the qualification in her own hands: If she wins the dramatic final act in two sets against the undefeated Stephens, she is in the preliminary round. In theory, Kerber could even afford a narrow defeat, but he would also need Osaka’s victorious shooting aid in their final duel with Bertens.

With three players with one victory and two defeats each, the better set or even match ratio would decide. Even Osaka, so far without a win, could make it to the semi-finals.

In contrast to the adventurous roller coaster ride against Bertens on Monday, when Kerber had unnecessarily gambled away a 1-0 set advantage, the second in the world rankings now showed much more stability and character strength against Osaka.

Even when Osaka had suddenly shed her nervousness and bias and made a brilliant intermediate sprint to 1:1 set compensation, the 30-year-old from Kiel did not experience a fatal break-in and fought with wild passion for the urgently needed victory. “It’s really good to have won like this,” Kerber said afterwards, “I had to go to the limit to stay in the tournament.”

However, in the third set Kerber had to endure critical situations again and again, more than once she was threatened by the bitter and possibly already pre-decisive loss of serve. But with an intact morale and fast feet even at the end of this fierce wear and tear fight, Kerber annoyed the Japanese player and won the important break for herself 4:3.

And she defended this lead laboriously, but no longer decisively endangered it until the finish line. “There were only a few points here and there that brought the decision,” said Kerber, who showed herself well recovered from the opening defeat against World Cup debutant Bertens.

As a trainer, Kerber switched tactically at the right moments as well, thus preserving her World Cup opportunities as a self-confident strategist. After the intermediate low at the end of the second and beginning of the third set, the Wimbledon winner was much more offensive and hands-on on the home straight of the match – it was the indispensable basis for the victory.

“I knew I was going to be I have to actively play out this success,” Kerber said later. In contrast to Osaka, who twice ordered her coach Sascha Bajin to the Centre Court of the Singapore Indoor Arena, Kerber let her assistant coach Andre Wiesler from Bad Nauheim remain in the VIP box – perhaps a demonstrative act to show that she can cope with the difficult, critical World Cup challenge herself.