By Erik Gudris | Wednesday, August 17, 2016

 

Angelique Kerber won her opening round match in Cincinnati with the WTA top ranking potentially up for grabs.

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Angelique Kerber admits she’s not feeling 100% fresh but still found enough energy to reach the round of 16 at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnnati.

WTA: Halep Starts Strong in Cincy

For Kerber not only is another title up for grabs but potentially the WTA No. 1 spot currently held by Serena Williams. Kerber will have to win the title outright to pass Williams in the rankings.

Kerber, who claimed the silver medal at the Summer Games in Rio, didn’t have much time to prepare for her second round match on Wednesday.

“Yeah, of course I'm not the freshest I am, you know, but I am trying to take the energy from the Olympics here,” Kerber said after her win over France’s Kristina Mladenovic. “Of course, I mean, long flight and just one and a half days here before the tournament starts for me so it's a little bit tight, the schedule. But, yeah, I'm trying to being fresh in every match and trying to not thinking about tiring.”

The No. 2 seed raced through the opening set 6-0 before things got tougher later in the match. Kerber eventually completed the 6-0, 7-5 win.

“The conditions are a little bit faster and it's not like in Rio, so that's why I was happy to win the first set,” Kerber said, “In the second set she starts playing a little bit better, and, yeah, I was trying to feel the rhythm again and feel the court, the balls, because it's, yeah, a little bit different. I just had like two days before the match here.”

While Kerber is aware that she could take over the top ranking with a title run, it’s not something she’s thinking about.

“No, that not on my mind. Of course everybody is talking about this and asking me, but at the end it's still a long way to go, this. There are really tough opponents here in the draw and I'm not thinking about this. I'm just trying to going step by step, and at the end of the week we will see how far I can get and what's happen. If the time is ready and I can reach the No. 1, of course it will be amazing. Still, it's for me still a long, long way to get there.”

Kerber will next face Barbora Strycova.