WTA: Kerbers Melbourne pain:”Everything was fine after the party.”

Angelique Kerber has handled the disappointment of the Australian Open’s narrowly missed final. As she told tennisnet, a surprise party and the many positive reactions to her achievements in 2018 played the leading roles. This week Angie wants to attack again in Doha.

The question of all the questions had to come up. But she made Kerber smile relaxed. The Kieler sat in the brightly lit media centre of the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha and reported in full detail on the time between excessive disappointment and deepest satisfaction.

About the emotional rollercoaster ride after the finale at the Australian Open two and a half weeks ago against Simona Halep (3:6,6:4,7:9),”I flew home and left the clubs in my pocket. I had to come down physically and mentally, because I was emotionally torn back and forth,”Kerber said in a tennisnet interview on Sunday.

Two or three days this phase dragged on. Then a special party was the end of the processing. On the occasion of her 30th birthday, the family had a lot of fun. Birthday, the Kerber 18. It was a real surprise,”he said,” that we spent the first Grand Slam tournament of the year on 1 January, having a catch-up party. They invited all their friends, I didn’t know before who was coming,”said the two-time Major Winner and said:” And after that evening everything was fine again.

In other words: After this evening the many great memories of the Australian Swing with the title win in Sydney, the semi-finals in Melbourne and the match record of 14:1 wins in 2018 had finally covered up the negative thoughts about the missed chances (two match points) in the preliminary round of the Australian Open.

“Angie’s back. No one knows this as well as she herself, who feels the power of the old abilities in her. In a new guise, so to speak – to forget after a past season. Over the past few weeks, Kerber has also been buoyed by the positive response to her epic 2:20 hour battle against Halep at the Arthur Ashe Arena,”I have seen the reactions in Germany, how everyone has supported me and how my performance has been received. This is the confirmation I always wish for,”emphasized the ninth in the world ranking.

Especially since it is immensely important to her that “the fans and the people back home have seen what distinguishes me. I left my heart on the court, played tennis again – and fought. And that’s why the defeat against Halep had to be reclassified with a little distance:”It wasn’t that painful any more.”

But the future has long since begun in Doha. Since Friday, Kerber has been on site at the palm-fringed facility, after she had resumed her batting training last week in the European winter. In the hall, but the transition from indoor to outdoor with sunshine and temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius has never been a problem for them:”I like the sun, I like when it’s warm. I’m ready,”said Kerber.

Besides coach Wim Fissette and Physio Timo Schall, Rob Brandsma, with whom Kerber wants to complete a fitness block, is also on the peninsula at the Persian Gulf. After a walk-through in the first round, the left-hander will face either Samantha Stosur (Australia) or Irina-Camelia Begu (Romania) on Wednesday in her opening match. In the quarter-finals, the 2.897 million dollar Qatar Total Open could see the exciting duel with the Danish Melbourne winner Caroline Wozniacki. Kerber had already stood in the final of Doha in 2014 and lost to Halep there.

The media day showed that Kerber is also in great demand in Doha. Although she is missing from the official tournament poster this year, three television stations asked the left-handed woman on Sunday for interviews in front of the microphone. I saw Laura Dahlmeier’s victory at the Winter Olympics on TV – and also the jumping,”said Kerber, who was skiing herself as a child.

She also considered the fact that for the first time in more than 20 years, two German players were in the top ten again to be “special”. Julia Görges (10th) and herself.”That’s a great thing for us. Now, of course, we want to try to stay there as long as possible,”announced Kerber and praised the development:”We have good German players in the Top 100 and Top 50, respectively. I think we have made good progress in this respect.”