Angelique Kerber meets Venus Williams in the second round brawl – Tennis News
With the season’s last Grand Slam title on the line, all top-class super stars have descended to the hard courts of the glorious Flushing Meadows in New York for getting their hands on the US Open trophy. The German number one,
Angelique Kerber, had an excellent start to her Major campaign but she has a huge challenge to face in her upcoming matchup later this week.
Kerber has to go through the former world number one and two-time US Open champion, Venus Williams, in the second round brawl. Currently rated at number 46 in the WTA Premier Rankings, Williams displayed her usual power game in
the opening round encounter against her fellow American, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, outclassing her in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, to book a date with the German diva.
The reigning world number six, Kerber, also had a thumping victory in her opening match against the unseeded Brit, Anne Keothavong, sparing barely two games for her in the entire matchup to settle the final score line at 6-2, 6-0.
Aiming for her maiden Grand Slam title, Kerber is among the first line runners for this year’s coveted title. She is 53-16 this season, already having two WTA championship titles in her bag and aiming for even bigger glory in New York.
Venus has been sidelined from the professional circuit due her prolonged illness and has only played 27 matches this year so far, winning 19 of them but still having a title drought. She was very pleased with her victory over Mattek-Sands
and hopes to carry on the similar sort of momentum in the second round clash against the sixth seeded German.
"This year when I practice I don't want to quit. It's a huge difference,” said Venus. “To be in a major and just want to walk off the court is tough - I have come a long way thanks to my doctors and everything else. I've come a
really long way. And for me, I have a lot to prove to myself.”
"I have to put a lot of balls in the court and execute my game well if I want to win against her," she said of Kerber. "I'm looking forward to it."
Kerber has defeated the American twice this season, first in Madrid Masters and then at the Olympic Games, to lead 2-1 in the head-to-head series. She will certainly like to extend her lead over the former world number one but
it is easier said than done.
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