Angelique Kerber, the one who managed to oust Serena Williams from the first spot of the WTA ranking is having a challenging season in 2017. Her low form brought in a downward spiral despite being the world no.1. After Monterrey came to its conclusion, the German is yet to win a title in 2017 despite having some decent opportunities. It seems that the 29-year-old tennis star has to deal with her inner demons while on the tennis court. Unlike other tennis stars, Kerber decided to give it another chance for a title on the outdoor hard's first swing.
A near perfect run in Monterrey saw itself being torn apart by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova from Russia.
Kerber struggled during the final in Monterrey
Entering the final, Kerber had a 5-3 win-loss record against the 25-year-old Russian. Besides, having won their previous three encounters, Kerber was indeed a favorite in the final. But her opponent thought differently and the minute the match started it was quite obvious that she wouldn't surrender without a proper fight. So, the opening set saw a superior level of aggressiveness from the Russian, while the first seed seemed a bit off. The Russian took the initiative by stepping way inside the baseline adding extra pressure to her opponent. Eventually, Kerber was broken on her own serve and Pavlyuchenkova put away the opening set by 6-4.
The second act saw almost the same story, but this time it was Kerber with the upper hand. The set went her way and a decisive set was on the verge. Somehow unexpectedly, it was Kerber who seemed to have abandoned the fight. It was 6-1 for the 25-year-old at the end of a compelling display of tennis. That leaves Kerber without a title in 2017.
A strange status for the world no.1 who will move on to the European clay session.
Kerber's seat will be questioned
With Serena Williams not upon the stage yet, Angelique Kerber can allow herself to make wrong steps. At the top of the WTA ranking, all other competitors have been having a certain level of inconsistency during the first part of the season.
Pliskova seemed to be a bit different with that amazing pace recently. With Elena Vesnina and Johanna Konta winning at Indian Wells and Miami, the pressure of the ranking has remained low for the German. But things might suffer a dramatic shift during the clay swing. Having a handful of high-profile events each of the top 10 players could ascend to the top. Regarding Kerber's clay court schedule, she is expected to take the first stop in Stuttgart, a Premier event she won last year.
