tennis
Kerber at the tournament in Rome in round two
Is in the second round of the Masters in Rome: Angelique Kerber. photo
© Marijan Murat/dpa/archive image
Finally another victory: Angelique Kerber clearly wins her opening match at the Masters tournament and gains new self-confidence for the French Open.
The 36-year-old Kerber was previously eliminated in the first round of the tournaments in Miami in mid-March and in Stuttgart three weeks ago. Afterwards, the three-time Grand Slam tournament winner decided to take a short break to cure the effects of a cold and to “do proper clay court preparation”. Kerber returned to the tour around the turn of the year after an 18-month maternity break and, as expected, the Kiel native is still some way away from her top form.
From a German perspective, Tatjana Maria (36) from Bad Saulgau is also set for the women’s main draw in Rome. The 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist will face Czech qualifier Linda Fruhvirtová in the first round. The last of the three Masters 1000 tournaments, which are held on clay, is considered an important test of form for the French Open, which begins on May 26th.