By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, May 8, 2017
Katerina Siniakova served for the match, but Angelique Kerber rallied for a 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 win to reach the Mutua Madrid Open third round for the first time since 2013.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
Sliding into the doubles alley for a running forehand, Angelique Kerber was pushed into the corner chasing Katerina Siniakova’s ambitious drives.
Serving for the match at 5-4, Siniakova was two points from the biggest win of her career.
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A stubborn Kerber scrambled back from the edge with a determined run.
Relying on sturdy legs and crosscourt accuracy, Kerber won three games in a row rallying for a 6-2, 1-6, 7-5, victory that propelled her into the Mutua Madrid Open third round for the first time since 2013.
"I think it was from my side a really up-and-down match," Kerber told the media in Madrid. "I played really good in the first set, then in the second set the first few games at the beginning of the second set, it was really close.
"Then she started playing better. I mean, she started to moving good, bring a lot of balls back. I did too many mistakes in the second set. In the third set, I was just trying to finding my game back."
The second-ranked German will play either fellow former No. 1 Maria Sharapova or 60th-ranked Genie Bouchard for a quarterfinal spot.
It was quite a turnaround for Kerber, who was on the verge of joining second-seeded Karolina Pliskova and fifth-seeded Garbine Muguruza in tumbling from the draw.
The reigning US Open champion cruised through the opening set only to see Siniakova blast past her in the second.
Playing with heavy taping around her right thigh, the 20-year-old Czech began taking the ball earlier, hitting it harder and driving shots deeper to displace the two-time Grand Slam champion.
Winning key exchanges playing her two-handed backhand crosscourt to the left-handed German’s forehand, Siniakova broke for a 3-1 second-set lead.
Landing shots short in the court and serving predictable patters, including repeatedly slicing her serve wide to the Czech’s backhand on the ad side, Kerber couldn’t gain too much traction in second-set rallies.
The world No. 37 bolted a backhand winner to close a commanding second set.
Midway through the final set, Kerber began stretching Siniakova wide to earn a break point. Siniakova saved it, eventually leveling at 3-all.
Down love-30 in the ensuing game, Kerber crunched an ace down the middle to level only to see Siniakova slash a drive for break point. Working over the left-hander’s forehand with her preferred pattern, the Czech drew a flat forehand into net breaking for 4-3 with a shout.
Battering her two-handed backhand into the corners, Siniakova used one of her favorite combinations—the backhand crosscourt followed by a flatter backhand down the line—to earn game point. When Kerber scattered a forehand wide, Siniakova was one game from the upset.
Serving for the match at 15-30, a scrappy Siniakova hung tough in a running rally, opened the court then pounced on a mid-court forehand for 30-all. She was two points from the win, but would not get any closer.
Kerber answered sliding a running forehand down the line for break point. When Siniakova slapped a backhand into the tape, Kerber had her first break of the final set for 5-all.
Building on that momentum, Kerber held when the Czech badly botched a smash.
"She played a good match, I think," Kerber said. "I think she played one of the best matches in this year. But I was trying at the end coming back. I know that I can comeback and winning matches like that when I'm down. So that was actually what was going on in my mind in the third set."
Burying her face in her towel as her father and coach urged her on during the changeover, Siniakova served to force the tie break, but her backhand betrayed her.
Crashing a backhand down the line into the top of the tape for match point, Siniakova sent a backhand wide to end a one hour, 59-minute struggle.
World No. 22 Anastasija Sevastova applied angle, finesse and some timely drop shots to bounce the second-seeded Pliskova out of Madrid, 6-3, 6-3.
Pliskova didn’t play poorly, but didn’t take advantage of opportunities either. Sevastova saved all six break points she faced and beat the power player to the ball.
“Obviously it's still quite fast here, but not that fast as on a hard court,” Pliskova said. “The ball doesn't really, like, slip. It just jumps high even if I hit hard. She can still get there somehow. Then I'm, like, not the good runner so I cannot get to the balls that fast. She played really good angles to me. I was everywhere a little bit late. I was not in a good position to push and be aggressive.
“Few good drop shots from her. That's also a little bit different on hard court than on clay. Obviously you slide. Even if you get to the ball, you still have, I would say, small chance to win the point. That's tough. I tried to just little bit move from the baseline to have more time, to going more into the shots. But then those drop shots, there is no chance to win them. It made also the difference because she played quite important points those drop shots in the first set.”
Sevastova will play either 15th-seeded Czech Barbora Strycova or Spanish wild card Lara Arruabarrena next.
Pliskova’s dirt aspirations aren’t dead yet—she will play Rome and Roland Garros this month—but she conceded she’s not expecting much success for the duration of the clay-court season.
“I think right now finally I can change my expectation. I had it quite high,” Pliskova told the media in Madrid. “Right now I think I'm not going to expect anything more on clay. Still have two tournaments.
“I just going to see how it goes there, try to prepare obviously for Paris. Well, I still believe I have a chance. Somehow I have to find my shape.”