ANGELIQUE KERBER IN APIA INTERNACIONAL SYDNEY 2014

In the last match of the Wednesday schedule on Ken Rosewall Arena, Angelique Kerber took out her quarterfinal against Carla Suarez-Navarro 6-2 6-4. 
 The match got underway a little quicker than expected with the retirement of Bethanie Mattek-Sands, a lower back injury ending her campaign and sending opponent Madison Keys through to the semifinals. “I was watching the match in the players lounge and after she retired we had 15 minutes to warm up and get ready mentality so I was ready from the first point,” Kerber revealed. This was evident as the German got off to a flying start, racing out to a 4-0 lead early in the first set after her penetrating groundstrokes pinned Suarez-Navarro behind the baseline. But the Spaniard fought back, taking two straight games from Kerber off the back of some impressive defense, mixing up the pace of the ball with different slices. 
 With a commanding 5-2 lead, Kerber and her opponent were sent back into the locker room when light rain drizzled on the court. Play was suspended for 30 minutes but Kerber returned with focus and took the first set 6-2. “I was just thinking point to point and not thinking too much about the score,” she said. The second set started the way the first ended with Kerber grabbing the break in the first game. Yet Suarez-Navarro wasn’t going anywhere; with a cracking forehand winner down the line the Spaniard drew level at 2-2. After a hard-fought seventh game, the world no. 16 held off multiple break points to lead the second set 4-3. 
 Trailing for the first time in the second set, the German lifted, once again breaking the Spaniard and closing out the match with a strong service game. Kerber was happy to take the match in two sets after their epic three-setter last year at Flushing Meadows, where she went down in a third set tiebreaker. “It was a tough opponent, we had a great fight in the US Open last year, I’m just happy to win it in two because I knew it wouldn’t be an easy one.” With a superb crosscourt backhand winner, Kerber became the second seed into the semifinals, setting up a date with teen sensation Keys for a place in the final.