By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber stopped Petra Martic 6-3, 6-4 to score her second win of the year at Indian Wells.
Photo credit: Maximilian Haupt/Getty
Patience is a virtue, but the waiting game can be a stress test too.
Seeking her first win in two months, Angelique Kerber showed plenty of staying power to get it.
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Former world No. 1 Kerber broke four times topping Petra Martic 6-3, 6-4 to win her BNP Paribas Opener at Indian Wells.
It was Kerber's second victory of this comeback season and her first win since she defeated Ajla Tomljanovic 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(7) at the United Cup last January.
Rebuilding is a process and Kerber is trying to be patient about her progress.
“I have to be patient. I’m not the patience person, but I know I have to be—because it takes time, of course,” Kerber told Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj afterward. “I start in Australia and I feel I need a little more practice, matches, to get on my high level. This is what I need that’s why I’m really happy to win today and have a few more matches again.
“But I hope that I will be back on my really high level where I can really play my best. This is the goal and I’m trying to improve every single day.”
The 36-year-old Kerber is contesting Indian Wells for the first time since giving birth to her daughter, Liana, last February. Asked by Andrew Krasny what message she would deliver to her daughter, Kerber offered a quick response.
"You know it's crazy how fast one year went," Kerber said. "The message for her would be just follow your heart and enjoy what you love and dream big actually."
Arriving in the desert stumbling to a 1-6 start to her comeback season, the now 607th-ranked Kerber needed to find her consistency and confidence against a two-time Indian Wells quarterfinalist.
The three-time Grand Slam champion extended points with diligence, passed with precision and fought off two of four break points in an 89-minute victory.
Kerber's lefty crosscourt forehand feeds into Martic's weaker backhand wing and on big points she sometimes forced the Croat to shovel stretched backhands into net.
The wins sends 2019 Indian Wells finalist Kerber into a second-round clash vs. 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko. Kerber has won two of three meetings vs. Ostapenko, but knows her sometime short second serve will be put to the test against the Latvian's laser return game.
Understandably, Kerber's game is not as clean as it was during her glory days as a Grand Slam champion, but she still moves with passion and purpose.
Running down a Martic drop shot, Kerber slid a backhand pass down the line to break the Croatian after an eight-minute game for 4-2.
The German left-hander backed up the break with the first love hold of the match for 5-2.
Deploying a delayed serve-and-volley, Martic pushed a forehand volley winner to save a set point, eventually holding in the eighth game.
The three-time Grand Slam champion cracked a forehand winner to snatch the opening set after 41 minutes. It was the first set Kerber won since the second set of her three-set loss to Danielle Collins in the Australian Open first-round last January.
The world No. 58 went up 2-1 in the second set only to see Kerber coax a floated forehand to break back for 3-2.
Kerber never let that break lead go and closed an 89-minute victory on her second match point.
It is Kerber's 298th career hard-court victory and prompted a fist pump and big smile from coach Torben Beltz in her court-side box.
While her work day was done, Kerber, one of seven moms in this singles field, was looking forward to spending time as a working mom this afternoon.
As Angelique Kerber took a big step on the comeback road, she's anticipating her daughter's first baby steps.
"I'm really happy that I won my match and played my first round at 11 and I will go back to the hotel and spend time with Liana together," Kerber told Prakash Amritraj. "Tomorrow, I have a day off. Of course, I try to put in my schedule a little bit different in that I play in the morning and then I have the day off the rest of the day.
"I really enjoy it. Of course, she's really small still. In a few more days I think she will walk, so it's very close. Every day you have something you are proud of."