After their opening-day defeat against Kiki Bertens, Angelique Kerber wins her second match at the WTA Finals in Singapore – but only after three hard-fought sets against the US Open champion Naomi Osaka.
Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber has kept at the WTA final tournament in Singapore in their semi-final chance. The No. 1 seed German won her second Match in the Red group against US Open champion Naomi Osaka of Japan in three hard-fought sets 6:4, 5:7 and 6:4. “I’m so glad to be standing after this Match, now here as the winner,” said Kerber: “It was a very high Level, and I am very relieved that I’m still in the tournament.”
The final against Stephens
At the conclusion of the group stage, Kerber meets on Friday on French-Open-finalist Sloane Stephens from the USA. Their opening game in the season finale for the eight best players of the year, had lost the 30-Year-old on Monday against the Dutch Kiki Bertens, surprisingly in three sets. The two best-placed of the Red and White group, a draw in the penultimate round.
For the last time in Singapore
Kerber for the fifth Time at the WTA Finals, part of, three times they failed in the group phase, in 2016, they stand in the final.
The end of the season tournament will be held this year, for the last Time in Singapore, before it will be held in 2019 for ten years in Shenzhen in China. There are a total of to win seven million dollars, starting next year, the price will rise to to $ 14 million. Last German champion Steffi Graf was 22 years ago at Madison Square Garden in New York.
sn/mrl (sid, dpa)