Even her favorite surface couldn’t initially bring former world number one Angelique Kerber much luck. In Grunewald, Kerber struggled to advance to the round of 16. Fellow German Jule Niemeier also faced an early exit.
Her long-awaited return to the grass courts ended sooner than hoped, but Angelique Kerber remained positive. “There are many positive things I will take away from this match,” said the German tennis player following her first-round loss at the highly competitive WTA-500 tournament in Berlin on Tuesday. “For instance, I can still compete at a high level. I’ve seen in the last few weeks and today that I’m close.”
In the Steffi Graf Stadium, Kerber lost 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 4-6 to Czech player Linda Noskova. Despite her defeat, the 36-year-old was on the verge of a perfect start to the grass season. After initial struggles, the three-time Grand Slam winner found her rhythm and matched her 17-year younger opponent stride for stride.
“Of course, I’m disappointed because I felt good,” Kerber said. “Especially here in Berlin, it would have been nice to play a few more matches.” Overall, she was content: “I tried to play aggressively and felt comfortable on the grass from the start.” It was Kerber’s first match on her favorite surface since returning from her 18-month maternity break.
No German Player in Round of 16
Earlier, Dortmund’s Jule Niemeier also failed to progress past the first hurdle in Grunewald. The 24-year-old lost to last year’s finalist, Croatia’s Donna Vekic, despite a strong start, with a score of 6-1, 1-6, 3-6.
The $922,573 Wimbledon preparatory tournament continues without any German singles players. The traditional tournament features a high-quality lineup, with eight of the top ten players participating. “We have a Grand Slam field,” said tournament director Barbara Rittner.
The strength of the field was also felt by Naomi Osaka at the start. The four-time Grand Slam champion from Japan, who nearly defeated eventual French Open winner Iga Swiatek in the second round, lost to the formidable Chinese player Zheng Qinwen 4-6, 6-3, 3-6.
Kerber’s Focus is on Wimbledon
Next, Kerber will compete in the Bad Homburg tournament, where she also serves as an ambassador. Following that, the former world number one will play at the Wimbledon grass classic starting July 1. She celebrated her third and most recent Grand Slam victory there in 2018.
After a third-round exit in London in 2022, the Kiel native took an 18-month maternity break. After giving birth to her daughter Liana, Kerber returned to the tour at the start of the year and has been striving to rejoin the extended world elite. She has not yet won a tournament this year, having exited in the first round of both the Australian Open and the French Open.
