Kerber’s Struggles Continue as Niemeier Surprises in Bad Homburg
Bad Homburg (dpa) – The recent WTA-500 tennis tournament in Bad Homburg saw a disappointing performance from three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber. The 36-year-old was defeated 5:7, 3:6 by Diana Schneider from Russia, marking her second consecutive loss on grass as she prepares for Wimbledon. Kerber, who made her comeback to the tour after a break for motherhood, failed to secure a victory at this event, following a first-round exit in Berlin last week.
The Wimbledon preparations for the player from Kiel have not gone according to plan, with the prestigious Grand Slam event set to begin next Monday. Kerber, who clinched the Wimbledon title in 2018, is undoubtedly looking to regain her form before the competition kicks off.
Despite fighting back from a 3:5 deficit in the first set and a 0:2 disadvantage in the second, Kerber was unable to overcome her formidable opponent, Schneider. The match lasted 78 minutes before Kerber suffered another disappointing defeat on the grass court.
Niemeier Stuns as Outsider
In a surprising turn of events, former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Jule Niemeier emerged victorious by defeating top-seeded Maria Sakkari from Greece. Niemeier, 24, showcased an impressive performance, coming back from a 2:6 loss in the first set to win the next two sets 6:2, 7:6 (7:4). Her unexpected triumph has propelled her into the second round of the tournament, where she will face Paula Badosa from Spain.
Niemeier, who was initially eliminated in the qualifiers, was granted a spot in the main draw as a ‘Lucky Loser’ following the withdrawal of Elisabetta Cocciaretto from Italy.
Similar to Kerber’s unfortunate fate, Tamara Korpatsch also faced an early exit from the competition. The Hamburg native was defeated 1:6, 6:7 (6:8) by the fourth-seeded player, Beatriz Haddad Maia from Brazil. Korpatsch, like Niemeier, entered the main draw as a ‘Lucky Loser’ after another player withdrew. The tournament also saw the former Wimbledon semi-finalist Tatjana Maria being eliminated in the first round on Sunday by Wiktorija Tomowa from Bulgaria.