Tennis is being played again. Without a spectator and under strict hygiene rules - but at least. Davis Cup professional Struff celebrated his first victory under the special conditions. And Germany's number one for women also flies to New York.
New York (dpa) - New York has always been a very special city for Angelique Kerber. In 2011 she made her international breakthrough in the US metropolis with the semi-finals
In 2016 she won the title at the US Open and was the first German since Steffi Graf to become number one in the tennis world. And 2020? The German number one in Flushing Meadows is making her comeback after the long break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Together with her new old trainer Toben Beltz and her physiotherapist, Kerber got on the plane to the USA - with a mixture of anticipation, discomfort and uncertainty. The 32-year-old took a long time to make her decision. Unlike Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic or Serena Williams, she missed the Masters tournament, which has also been taking place in the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center of the American Association since Saturday. But in the end Kerber gave himself a jolt and is returning to the tour for the first time since her knockout in the last 16 at the Australian Open in January.
"After careful consideration and intensive discussions with my team, I decided to compete at the US Open," said Kerber in an interview with Porsche Newsroom. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, she did not make the decision easy for herself, but she has full confidence in the organizers. "I am sure that you are aware of your responsibility and will make every effort to ensure that the tournament is carried out under strict hygiene conditions," said Kerber.
Like most of the players, Kerber will stay in one of the official hotels. Unlike, for example, superstar Djokovic, the Kiel woman has not rented a house with its own security staff. And the conditions in the hotel, which is around an hour away from the facility, are not as bad as feared, reported Davis Cup professional Jan-Lennard Struff after his first-round victory at the Masters event against Australian Alex de Minaur. "The organizers did a great job. I had expected it to be much worse," said the 30-year-old Warsteiner. "We have a small garden area where we can get out. That is very nice," said Struff.
Most of the time, however, he spends on the system or on the bus. That will also apply to Kerber. The left-hander, who slipped to 23rd place in the world, recently trained on hard court, which had already been taken as a sign of participation. In what condition she is after the long break, she can hardly say herself, especially since, unlike Zverev or Struff, she did not contest any show fights during the long Corona break.
"That's why I don't have too high expectations, but am looking forward to the challenge of finally being able to play matches again," said Kerber. She doesn't have much to lose at the US Open starting on August 31st. Last year, she failed in the first round against the French Kristina Mladenovic.
In 2019, when everything was still normal and the system in the New York borough of Queens was peck-packed-full, Zverev was at least in the round of 16 and wants to go further this year. At the Masters event, which has been relocated from Cincinnati to New York, the German number one meets British Andy Murray after a bye to kick off the second round. The former number one in the tennis world defeated the American Frances Tiafoe: Murray celebrated his first win since November 2019.
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