Kerber Passes Stosur Test In Rio

  • Posted: Jan 01, 1970

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber continued on course for her first medal at the Olympic tennis event, winning a topsy-turvy 6-0, 7-5 match over No.13 seed Samantha Stosur.

In the midst of a career-best year, the World No.2 aims to add some Olympic hardware to a season that has already seen her triumph in Melbourne and finish runner-up at Wimbledon. Playing a former US Open champion in Stosur, Kerber won a deceptively competitive first set – one that featured a combined 14 break point chances – without losing a game.

The second set proved a far tenser affair; Kerber served for the match at 5-4 but double faulted on her first opportunity to seal victory. Emboldened by the lifeline, Stosur triumphed in a long game that she hoped could trigger a deciding set. But Kerber was undaunted, and keeping her side of the stat sheet clean – 14 unforced errors to 37 from Stosur – the German broke serve once more and clinched her spot in the last eight after 90 minutes on court.

Maintaining a postitive winner to unforced error differential, Kerber hit 19 winners to book a quarterfinal clash with No.10 seed Johanna Konta.

Konta was down a set and a break to No.8 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, and had to withstand a late surge from the Russian in the final set before sealing a 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory in three hours and nine minutes.

Kerber and Konta have played just once before, earlier this year in the semifinals of the Australian Open; Kerber won in straight sets.

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