- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
After a disappointing start to the year, world No.1 Angelique Kerber will be out to make a statement about her form in the opening round of the Australian Open against the dangerous Lesya Tsurenko. Join The Roar for live scores from 7pm (AEDT).
Kerber rose to the top of the world last year, winning both the Australian and US Open to finally dethrone Serena Williams as the best player in women’s tennis.
While she might have finished 2016 on top of the world, she has come crashing back to Earth very quickly this season, losing two of her first three matches.
Competing in both Brisbane and Sydney, she got things off to a fine enough start, knocking over Australian Ashleigh Barty in three tough sets that looked exactly like a first hit out for the year.
The problem for Kerber is that it hasn’t really improved from there. She bombed out of Brisbane in her second match against Elina Svitolina, a player she should be beating fairly comfortably before 19-year-old Darya Kasatkina stunned her in Sydney, winning in straight sets 7-6, 6-2.
Kerber simply hasn’t had anything her own way this season and while her defence, which was so fantastic looks off, her offence has possibly got even worse and right now, she looks in no position to fight with the best in the world.
Nonetheless, it still should be a first up win for Kerber as she takes on Lesia Tsurenko, who has been in good form but hasn’t had the same level of competition that Kerber has.
Tsurenko finished last season in lower tournaments, winning in Guangzhou by beating Jelena Jankovic in the final before qualifying for the main draw in Moscow.
She started this season at the WTA event in Hobart and displayed some promising signs, knocking over both Johnanna Larson and Shelby Rogers before withdrawing through injury.
Despite her form, the class and defensive skill set Kerber will have on display is going to be a massive step up for Tsurenko, and she will need to be at her best just to compete.
The pair have previously met once, back in 2015 at the Sydney International where Kerber won in three sets. The winner will go onto play either Eri Hozumi or Carina Witthoeft.
Prediction
Kerber shouldn’t have any problems in knocking the world No.61 over, but the pressure is still on her to make a statement and play a dominant brand of tennis that has been lacking a little bit this year.
Kerber in straight sets.
Be sure to join The Roar for live scores of this first round match from 7pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add your own comments in the section below as the action unfolds in Melbourne.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde