Kerber barely makes day, wins in 3 sets

MELBOURNE – Angelique Kerber smiled and waved her arms like an orchestra conductor as the Rod Laver Arena crowd sang “Happy Birthday” after her 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-2 second-round win on Wednesday at the Australian Open.

The defending champion didn’t enjoy the entire performance on her 29th birthday, angrily swiping her racket in the second set in a burst of frustration that momentarily threw her off her game – and allowed Carina Witthoeft back into the match.

Top-ranked Kerber was cool and controlled in the first set, but struggled against some deep, powerful forehands late in the second.

In the tiebreaker, she led 3-2 but double-faulted twice – once on either side of the change of ends – and didn’t win another point as Witthoeft leveled the match.

The tension mounted when she dropped her serve to open the third set, but Kerber recovered her composure and took a 4-1 lead, saving two break points in the fifth game.

Witthoeft, who had lost both her previous matches to Kerber, skewed a forehand wide on match point, then went to the net, shook hands and gave her fellow German a kiss on each cheek.

“I’m always playing on my birthday – always in Australia,” said Kerber, who had her major breakthrough here last year by beating Serena Williams in the final. She later won the US Open and replaced Williams as the year-end No. 1. “I feel like at home here. I’m 29. I’m getting older, but I think I’ll have a great day today.”        (AP)