Angelique Kerber takes positive notes from successful Indian Wells run
After a rather slow start of the season, Angelique Kerber had found the form again at Indian Wells, defeating Yulia Putintseva, Natalia Vikhlyantseva, Aryna Sabalenka, Venus Williams and Belinda Bencic to reach the 29th WTA final. There, an 18-year-old Bianca Andreesacu proved to be too strong for the German, scoring a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 triumph to become the youngest champion in the desert since Serena Williams 20 years ago and the first player with a wild card who went all the way.
Angelique gave her best to stay in touch with the young opponent but that wasn't enough to leave the desert with the trophy, falling 6-4 in the deciding set and heading to Miami with some positive vibes and confidence, moving into the top-4 once again with these points. Kerber praised the young rival who played bold and aggressive tennis and emerged as deserved champion in the end, and she will now switch her focus to Miami and the first edition of this Premier Mandatory event at Hard Rock Stadium.
"After the first set, I did my best to come back but Bianca played good, especially in the third set. When she had the chances, she just went for it, putting the balls into the court, she deserved to win in the end, playing the whole tournament well. I know that I had to play my best tennis although I was not able to take my chances, something she did. Her level was high already in Auckland, starting the year with the final and carrying that form here, moving good and hitting the balls very fast, going for the shots.
For me, the positive thing is that I played in the final, something I didn't expect two weeks ago, that's why I'm happy about this tournament and that gives me a lot of confidence. I mean, in a few days we have another tournament and we all start again from zero. I was trying not to look too much on her side but she played well. Miami is the new chapter for all of us, different conditions and rivals, also the new venue, I'm looking forward to going there."
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2FmDBc1
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