Angelique Kerber and the French Open, it’s never been a love affair. “Oh yes, about the sand,” she once said about the tennis highlight in Roland Garros. “It will probably no longer be my favorite rubber.” The 33-year-old won three of the four Grand Slam tournaments in her successful career. Only the title on the red ashes of Paris is still missing. He will continue to do so. On Sunday Kerber lost in round one to Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina 2-6, 4-6.
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Kerber was not one of the favorites for the overall victory at this year’s event anyway. The results of the past weeks and months were too weak. But the early end is still a disappointment. Kerber had decided to go into the tournament, this time without expectations, without pressure. “Maybe I can cause a surprise like this,” she announced. But the plan didn’t work out. Once again, her trip to Paris ended prematurely.
Because Kerber is not completely unfamiliar with the feeling of a first round defeat at the French Open. In the meantime, she has failed eight times in 13 participations. In the past two years, for example, against the Russian Anastassija Potapowa and the Slovenian Kaja Juvan. The defeat in 2017 was particularly bitter. At that time, she lost as number one on the seeding list and one of the favorites against Russian Ekaterina Makarova.
Furious catch-up remains uncrowned
Against Kalinina, only number 139 in the world rankings but with two tournament wins in a row on the third-class ITF tour, Kerber made a big false start. After less than 20 minutes, she was 5-0 down. Serve, return and above all the great passivity in the game from the baseline – the list of shortcomings was long. Kerber found the game a little better towards the end of the first round. But the rearing up came too late.
Kerber broke the impression of having the momentum on her side at the beginning of the second set. Again she was quickly behind with 0: 5. She made many unforced mistakes, remained too defensive and missed time and time again to end promising rallies with winning strokes. Her furious race to catch up, which even brought her a match ball to make it 5: 5, ultimately also remained uncrowned. After almost one and a half hours of play, the match was over.
The red sand remains a red cloth for Kerber. Although she has already proven her class at the French Open with quarter-finals in 2012 and 2018. The 2018 Wimbledon champion should still come in handy that the grass season now begins. “The thing about the sand” will ultimately no longer be their business.
Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka is now in the second round. The 23-year-old Japanese won against Patricia Maria Tig from Romania 6: 4, 7: 6 (7: 4). Osaka caused a sensation before the start of the second Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season because it had announced that it would not give any press conferences in Paris. The reason given by the number two in the world was that journalists would not consider the mental health of athletes.
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