Barbara Rittner trusts the form-strong Angelique Kerber and Julia Görges at the Australian Open starting on Monday. In the tennisnet interview, the former Fed Cup team boss and DTB women’s representative even talks of a German finale.
Barbara Rittner sits calmly on a wall on the Yarra River. In the background you can hear Phil Collins. Behind her lies the Melbourne skyline – and ahead of her lies the first major tournament of the year, which the 44-year-old looks forward with confidence.
Tennisnet:”Angie Kerber and Jule Görges are bursting with self-confidence shortly before the start of the happy slam. What do you think they’re capable of?”
Rittner:”I say they both get very far. Some people may think I’m crazy, but I’d say that a German-German finale is really not impossible and not totally unrealistic. It would be a dream, of course, if they would come this far.”
Tennisnet:”What makes you so optimistic?”
Rittner:”If you see the current form of an Angie, who already knows the feeling of a Grand Slam title win anyway, and the shape of Jule who won the last three tournaments, then everything is possible. You’re in different halves of the draws. And you can dream. Even if some people say that Rittner is crazy. But I can live with that…”
Tennisnet:”Kerber seems to be able to resume her dream season of 2016 after her disappointing performance last year. What’s your impression of her?”
Rittner:”Angie makes you feel like there was no such thing in 2017. She is physically fit and has a better body tension. Your new coach Wim Fissette has done a great job. With the self-confidence of the won matches in her back, she plays more aggressively right at the beginning of the year. And this, coupled with her perfect countergame, we see an even better Angie than in 2016 – but with the same expression of that time. It’s just great fun to watch her again. I’m very curious to see what happens here.”
Tennisnet:”How big is Fissette’s share of Kerber’s success?”
Rittner:”His handwriting is quite clear. He has also changed her serve a little bit, there is a clear improvement in this area. She doesn’t pull the left leg no more and therefore doesn’t stand so frontal anymore. Angie also serves more dangerous, a little bit more from the first side to the outside.”
Tennisnet:”The other German players haven’t exactly gotten lucky…”
Rittner:”That’s right, she was hit very hard. Andrea Petkovic has to play Petra Kvitova, this is an incredibly difficult lot. Carina Witthöft has to deal with Caroline Garcia, who was a bit the player of the 2017 season. And then Tatjana Maria versus Maria Sharapova:”Of course, that’s no easy task either. Anna-Lena Friedsam unfortunately meets Kerber in the first round after her long break due to her shoulder surgery. You wish for something else than a German duel. All in all, it could have been better from the draw.”
Tennisnet:”Many people rave about Happy Slam. What makes the Australian Open so special?”
Rittner:”When I was still active, some of the top 100 didn’t even participate here. The prize money was not too high and the tournament wasn’t that crowded. This changed abruptly in the mid-1990s. Since then, the event has been held in high esteem and is on par with the other Grand Slams. Especially the European professionals are always looking forward to this event. The people here are extremely chilled and relaxed. Most players say that’s my favorite Grand Slam.”
Tennisnet:”What’s down under the difficulties at the start of the major season?”
Rittner:”Among other things, the challenge of weather change. Right here in Melbourne, the city of the four seasons. One sometimes has a temperature difference of 20 degrees Celsius in one day, for example, it varies between 20 and 40 degrees Celsius. Sometimes it is very windy. So much can happen – especially at the beginning of the year. You don’t really know where you stand. It is very interesting to observe the professionals here. Many people train an incredible amount of gymnastics outside the individual tennis training sessions. A particular challenge is to survive the two weeks under these different circumstances – and then to win in the end.”
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