Angelique Kerber before Wimbledon: suddenly a favorite (even if she doesn't want to hear that)

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Kerber with trophy and selfie after winning the final in Bad Homburg

Photo: Sebastian Gollnow / dpa

The evil look hit the chair referee with full force.

Angelique Kerber's eyes sparkled with anger when the referee gave the Germans to serve.

Kerber went towards the T-field and for a moment it seemed as if she wanted to let go of frustration and start a discussion.

But then she waved it off and continued playing.

The still best German tennis player lost this service game late in the third, decisive set in the semi-finals of the Bad Homburg Open on Friday against the two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova.

But unlike so often in the past few months, negativity did not win over Kerber.

During the short break on the bench, she shook off her frustration and, with the home crowd behind her, fought her first real win (without giving up) over a top 10 player in two years in the tie-break of the decisive set.

The next day, the 33-year-old won the title against Kvitova's compatriot Katerina Sinikova at the newly created WTA tournament in the Hessian spa town, which Kerber set up together with her manager Aljoscha Thron and a functional team.

And suddenly, not even four weeks after the disappointing first round at the French Open, Kerber is one of the extended favorites on her beloved underground at Wimbledon.

The former number one in the tennis world doesn't like to hear such statements, the tennis year was too disappointing for her.

“I'm not going to Wimbledon as a favorite, and I'm not going to take on that role.

I have to play my best tennis in every single round, ”said Kerber a few hours after her first tournament victory since Wimbledon 2018, the high point of her career.

Kerber is - also in the absence of alternatives - still the front woman of the German Tennis Association (DTB).

13 tournament victories, three Grand Slam successes, number one in the world rankings, $ 30 million in prize money.

But since the triumph in London exactly three years ago there have been more lows than heights.

Lengthy thigh and ankle injuries that she did not cure properly, less successful coaching projects with Rainer Schütter and Dieter Kindlmann, five first-round failures and only three round of 16 in ten Grand Slam participations.

The resumption of work with Torben Beltz, who led Kerber to his first two major victories in Australia and New York in 2016 and to the top of the world rankings, did not bear fruit until the grass season.

Also because Kerber was slowed down after an excellent season preparation in Australia and had to be in a two-week quarantine without training opportunities.

There had been corona cases on her outbound flight to Australia in January.

The painstakingly constructed form was gone.

The clay court season, which was not very popular anyway, then turned out to be average.

»You have to be patient and still work hard despite the ups and downs. I've always had them in my career.

This is my way, and it will probably stay that way until the end, ”said Kerber in Bad Homburg.

There you could watch a small renaissance of what was once the best counterattack player in the world.

Good stamina and running, early ball meeting point, dozens of passes and a self-confidence that is growing from day to day and round to round.

On Friday she defeated the talented American Amanda Anisimova and in the evening Kvitova in three sets.

Kerber turned a set deficit in both matches.

“I don't know when I last played six sets in a day.

I already felt that a bit today, «said Kerber one day after winning the tournament.

Nevertheless, she is confident that the tournament has not cost her any strength but has given her "self-confidence".

There was no big celebration anyway.

The Kerber convoy flew to London in a private jet on Saturday.

Sunday was already training on the famous lawn.

Kerber's own tournament has noticeably breathed new life into it.

She was involved in the organization.

If the manager and tournament director Thron had problems dealing with players, Kerber communicated himself - for example in the case of contentious fixings.

At Wimbledon, Kerber can concentrate on her tennis.

On Tuesday she starts against the largely unknown Serbian Nina Stojanovic.

For the 24-year-old, it is the premiere at Wimbledon.

In round three, however, there could be a new edition of the final of 2018 against Serena Williams.

The 39-year-old starts another attempt to break the Grand Slam record (24 titles).

On Sunday, the superstar announced that, unlike Kerber, he did not want to start at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Williams has already been decorated there with four gold medals.

Wimbledon and the US Open, on the other hand, may be the last two realistic chances of winning a big title.

While four active Grand Slam winners are represented in the men's competition, there are 15 in the women's competition. In the absence of Naomi Osaka (personal time out) and Simona Halep (calf injury), the upper half of the draw with Kerber and Williams is quite open.

The local hero Johanna Konta was removed from the tournament tree late on Sunday evening because the Briton was in close contact with Corona.

Victoria Azarenka and Bianca Andreescu are physically battered, French Open winner Barbora Krejčíková still has to prove her qualities on grass and Elina Svitolina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Belinda Bencic can also be beaten for Kerber in the form of Bad Homburg.

Ashleigh Barty is the strongest player in Kerber's half.

But in any case, Kerber admitted on request in Bad Homburg, she doesn't look that far anyway. “I didn't look any further than my first lap. And I don't want to know, either, ”she said. This time, however, there was no evil look, but a smile.