(March 12, 2016) INDIAN WELLS, California – Angelique Kerber became another women’s seed casualty on Saturday at the BNP Paribas open. No. 64 Denisa Allertova surprised the reigning Australian Open champion 7-5, 7-5 on Stadium 1 to open the day session.
The Czech is making her main draw debut in Indian Wells, she lost in last year’s qualifying tournament.
The 23–year-old from Prague is now 2-1 against Top five opponents. She beat No. 2 Simona Halep at the 2015 Guangzhou and lost to No. 5 Wozniacki at Wimbledon last year.
Kerber was up a break in the first and was serving for the second set at 5-4.
Kerber admitted that she was not 100% physically.
“Actually, she was playing not bad today,” Kerber said. “I was trying to find my rhythm and trying to play my game, but, yeah, it was not my day.
“Yeah, 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.
“Yeah, but it’s not the excuse that’s why I lost the match”
Kerber is now 1-3 since winning the Australian Open title in January.
Is there more pressure on Kerber since she now a major champion?
“Of course the pressure is much different than it was like few months ago. It’s a completely new situation for me, that’s right. But, yeah, I’m trying to get used to it, she said.
“It’s much more different because I have much more things to do off court. I’m here one week and, yeah, it was a busy week for me.
“But still, I mean, I’m trying — I have my team and I’m trying to go out there, work my tennis, improve it.
“Yeah, and like I said, it’s a completely new situation. I will try to get used to it and, yeah, and let’s see. I mean, yeah, I’m working hard still and my game will not change. I mean, my game is like it is.
“I try to improve like few more things into it, but at the end I will still play like I was playing the last years.”
“That’s the one thing I was dreaming my whole career and I reached it,” the German continued. “I won a Grand Slam. Of course still the year, it’s long and there are so many tournaments. In tennis you have every week the chance to get a new challenge. If you lose first round or like early in the tournament, you have the chance next week to make it better.
“But, no, I mean, it’s a new situation and new experience. So I think it will be also like making me more comfortable in the next few months making me actually stronger.”
.Kerber joins the list of upsets on the women’s side. So far nine women’s seeds have fallen in Indian Wells.
Allertova will face the 25th seed Johanna Konta in the third round.
More to follow…
Karen Pestaina is covering the BNP Paribas Open for Tennis Panorama News. Follow updates on twitter at @TennisNewsTPN.
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