Fed Cup-Porsche Team Germany behind against Australia but still battling
Porsche Team Germany behind against Australia but still battling
“We’ll go for our chances”
Stuttgart. Surprise Fed Cup play-off start between Porsche Team Germany and Australia: on the opening day of the tie in Stuttgart’s Porsche Arena to decide who will have a World Group berth next year, Angelique Kerber lost 7-6, 6-4 to Samantha Stosur and Julia Görges went down 6-4, 6-4 against Jarmila Gajdosova. The Aussies now only need a point on Sunday to gain promotion.
In spite of being behind, Porsche Team Germany hasn’t thrown in the towel yet. “Everything is still possible,” said captain Barbara Rittner. “We’ll go for our chances tomorrow and see what happens. It won’t be easy but we’ll have a go come what may.”
In the first singles, Angelique Kerber faced the world No. 5 Samantha Strosur. The Porsche Team Germany player, who a week ago won her second WTA title in Copenhagen, quickly went 3-0 behind. She fought back to level at 4-4. After going 5-4 down she showed nerves of steel to stave off five set points and get back on terms again. In the tie-break she only won a single point. Samantha Stosur then proceeded to win the second set comfortably 6-4.
“At the vital times, she simply played better than I did. I tried to fight and give it everything but it unfortunately wasn’t enough,” said Angelique Kerber, the world No 14. “I put myself under a lot of pressure and was more nervous than before a normal match. It was a completely different nervousness than at a tournament. Playing for a team is something quite special. In the first three sets, I was all over the place with my thoughts but not on court. Then I fought my way back into the match but Samantha went for her shots in the tie-break and every ball was a winner. I made two easy mistakes and then the set was gone.”
In losing 6-4, 6-4 against Jarmila Gajdosova, the world No. 50, Julia Görges didn’t get much of a look in. “I couldn’t produce my normal tennis today,” said last year’s winner of the Por-sche Tennis Grand Prix who is currently WTA ranked 16. “I had two games in both sets where I wasn’t fully awake. Playing like that, it’s impossible to win against an opponent playing so quickly and powerfully.”
Barbara Rittner didn’t want to be drawn as to who, after the first two singles, she was going to select for Porsche Team Germany on Sunday. But Angelique Kerber appears to be a cer-tainly for the second singles. “There was little between Angie and Sam. I had the feeling right up to the end, she’d win it,” said Barbara Rittner and added: “We’re improving with every experience we make, whether negative or positive. It doesn’t matter how things turn out to-morrow, we’ll definitely come out of it as a stronger team.”
