Tennis news - Angelique Kerber strolls past Polona Hercog in first round
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ByEurosport
Updated 14/01/2019 at 08:03 GMT
Angelique Kerber brandished her credentials as a title contender at the Australian Open with a straight-forward 6-2 6-2 victory against Slovenia's Polona Hercog on Monday.
Angeluique Kerber of Germany plays a forehand in her first round match against Polona Hercog of Slovenia during day one of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 14, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia.
Image credit: Getty Images
The Wimbledon champion minimised her time under the hot sun, where temperatures surpassed 30 degrees celsius (86°F) during the day-time matches in Melbourne, securing the straight sets win in just over an hour.
Her opponent, a former top-50 player, was too erratic to trouble the three-times Grand Slam winner, committing almost three times as many unforced errors as Kerber.
Kerber said her form improved during the match and her ball-striking was not side-tracked by the at-times inconsistent opponent.
"I played a lot of matches here already in Australia ... I have my rhythm," said Kerber, who played lead-up events in both Perth and Sydney.
Kerber was rarely challenged, and stepped up her relentless, grinding style on the handful of occasions she faced break points to move into the next round without losing any service games.
She will play Brazilian qualifier Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round in a battle between two left-handed counter-punchers who have not previously met.
Reporting: Reuters
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