Kerber Blasts Past Begu

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

CHARLESTON, SC, USA – Top seed Angelique Kerber eased into the Volvo Car Open semifinal with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Irina-Camelia Begu.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Charleston right here on wtatennis.com!

Kerber had lost two of her three encounters with the big-hitting Romanian in 2015, but Begu had a much tougher road to reach the quarterfinals, saving a match point to defeat Monica Puig in a third set tie-break on Thursday night.

“I think I was mentally there,” the Australian Open champion told Andrew Krasny during her on-court interview. “I was trying to focus on myself because it’s always tough to play against her. Sometimes you lose your rhythm against her, so that’s what I was focusing on: just trying to go for it, move good on clay and just win the match because I remember the last match against her, I lost! So I was trying my best to win the match.

“I feel the love. The people here are so nice, so I’m just feeling welcome here. You have the best food here and I have so many great memories from last year, so it gives me confidence to play good tennis.”

Begu tried her best to force in the issue in the second set, hitting 23 winners to 18 from Kerber overall, but 35 unforced errors proved her undoing as Kerber hit only nine through the 72 minute match – four in the second set alone.

“I’m feeling better and better on clay. I think I’m getting used to it and it’s just so great to be back in the semis. I love Charleston and I’ve had a great week so far, so I’m just enjoying it here and hoping to have two more matches!”

Kerber needs to defeat Sloane Stephens to hold onto the No.2 ranking – which she briefly lost to WTA Finals champion Agnieszka Radwanska after Indian Wells – but the win over Begu has already guaranteed her return to the top of the Road To Singapore leaderboard, ousting Sunshine Double winner Victoria Azarenka.

“Sloane, she’s a great player, I know, and I played a few times against her already,” she said after the match. “I will just try to go out against her and try to take the challenge, playing a good match. So just enjoy it against her.”

Stephens won a marathon encounter with Kasatkina, who was in her first Premier level quarterfinal on clay courts. Rolling through the opening set, things were tight in the second as Kasatkina snuck away with a late break of serve to level the match. Down a match point, the young American caught fire once more, winning the final 11 points to book an ecounter with Kerber on her 37th winner.

“You guys were awesome,” she said after the match, addressing the crowd. “I’m so excited to be in the semis. it’s my best result in six years, so it’s about time I won some matches here!

“I was just fighting for every point. Obviously the conditions were really tough and I was playing a really good player. She’s had some really good results, so I knew from the beginning that it was going to be a battle. The wind and we’re on clay court were a lot of factors, so I’m happy I stayed calm and played my game.”

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