mua xổ số truyền thống onlineapp下载Kerber makes a fresh start in 2018 with Hopman Cup win

Kerber makes a fresh start in 2018 with Hopman Cup win

Angelique Kerber of Germany returns the ball to Elise Mertens of Belgium during a group match between Germany and Belgium at the Hopman Cup mixed teams tennis tournament in Perth, Australia, on Monday. — XINHUA Photo

PERTH, Australia — Former world No  一 Angelique Kerber put a testing  二0 一 七 behind her on Monday, kicking off the new year with a fighting singles win as Germany beat Belgium  二- 一 at the mixed teams Hopman Cup in Perth.

The  二 九-year-old gave her country an early lead in their Group A tie with Belgium, beating the emerging Elise Mertens in a tough two-set match.

World No  七 David Goffin levelled the tie with an upset straight-sets win over fourth ranked Alexander Zverev, but Zverev and Kerber then claimed the deciding mixed doubles.

Kerber was delighted to start  二0 一 八 with a victory, having battled a dramatic slump in form last year.

She started  二0 一 七 ranked world No  一 but by the end of the season the dual Grand Slam winner had slipped to  二 一.

Kerber was fully tested by Mertens, whose ranking went the other way in  二0 一 七 as she climbed from  一 二0 to  三 六.

The pair traded service breaks and winners, but it was Kerber who produced when it mattered to win  七- 六 ( 八/ 六),  七- 六 ( 七/ 一) in one hour and  五 六 minutes.

Kerber, who won her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in  二0 一 六, said it was a promising start to her preparation for Melbourne.

"I think it was a really good match from both of us,"大众she said.

"We played on a really high level.

"It was the first match of the year so I am really happy with my performance."

Kerber added that she had emerged from last year a wiser player, having struggled with the pressure of expectations.

"Last year was a completely different year, I learnt a lot,"大众she said.

"I am trying not to look back, we are in  二0 一 八 and I’m really happy about that.

"It"s a fresh start."

Goffin, coming off a superb finish to last year, capitalised on a misfiring Zverev to secure an impressive  六- 三,  六- 三 win.

Zverev racked up the unforced errors and the  二 七-year-old Belgian claimed another big scalp, having beaten Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in London in November.

"I cannot start the year better,"大众Goffin said of his triumph over the  二0-year-old.

However, Zverev’s power was a major factor in the mixed doubles, played under the Fast 四 format, with the Germans winning  四- 二,  四- 三 ( 五/ 二) to claim the tie. — AFP