By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, March 12, 2016
Denisa Allertova won the final four games upsetting second-seeded Angelique Kerber, 7-5, 7-5.
Photo credit: @BNPPARIBASOPEN
Denisa Allertova scored the fastest win of the season in round one. Allertova backed it up with the biggest win of her career today.
The 64th-ranked Czech played with poise and purpose bouncing second-ranked Angelique Kerber out of Indian Wells with an impressive 7-5, 7-5 victory. It is Allertova's third straight victory over a Top 10-ranked opponent.
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Playing her first WTA Premier main-draw tournament, Allertova reeled off the final four games against a slightly gimpy and sometimes cranky Kerber.
The Australian Open champion played with taping wrapped around her left thigh and lacked a bit of explosive movement, particularly moving to her left for the running forehand.
"Actually, she was playing not bad today, you know. I was trying to find my rhythm and trying to play my game, but, yeah, it was not my day," Kerber said. "My leg was bothering me in the last few days already, so I was taping it and I was trying it. It will be helping a little bit, but at the end the match I was feeling it a little bit more.
"But it's not the excuse that's why I lost the match."
Kerber failed to survive the Indian Wells second round for the third consecutive year. She lost to American Sloane Stephens in round two last year.
It is Allertova's second career victory over a world No. 2 in as many meetings. Allertova defeated second-ranked Simona Halep at the 2015 Guangzhou.
"I think she's a great player," Kerber said. "She's really young, great opponent, and she played very well today, I think."
The 23-year-old baseliner needed just 41 minutes to send compatriot Petra Cetkovska packing in the opening round. Picking up right where she left off, Allertova played deep crosscourt drives to stretch Kerber, sometimes stepping into the court to finish points hitting behind the second set.
The 5-foot-11 Czech owns a heavy serve—she cracked a 124.9 mph serve at the 2015 Australian Open—and backed it up with her flat forehand. Allertova broke in the final game of the first set to take the opener.
Kerber, who has not won a tournament match since stunning world No. 1 Serena Williams to capture her first Grand Slam title in Melbourne, began hitting with more depth in the early stages of the second set. She built a 5-3 lead and was on the verge of forcing a final set, but could not close her service game.
Serving for the set, Kerber, who cast concerned glances at coach Torben Beltz, was broken in the 10th game. Allertova immediately slammed shut a love hold to snatch a 6-5 lead and put pressure right back on the two-time BNP Paribas Open semifinalist. Allertova won 16 of 20 points played on her first serve in the second set.
Dumping a nervous double fault into net, her fourth double fault of the day, put Kerber into a double match point hole. Kerber floated a forehand long to end the 98-minute match. The German dropped to 1-3 since her Australian Open triumph.
Kerber, who said she should be fine to play the Miami Open later this month, concedes adapting to the pressure that comes with winning a Grand Slam title is a learning experience.
"Of course I feel the pressure, and I feel it that I have much more to do and the media is more like focusing on me right now," Kerber said. "But, yeah, of course I was not 100 percent today, like I said before.
"But, I mean, it's not the excuse why I lost the match. I had my chances in the second set and I didn't take it. But at the end I need to go on the practice court again, practicing hard, and trying to finding my rhythm, my game, and then going out again and, yeah, try to have good challenges against the players."
Allertova, who cracked 37 winners, will take on 25th-seede Johanna Konta next. Konta beat Allertova in straight sets in the Australian Open third round in January.