Kerber quells home hope Garcia to reach French Open QFs
PARIS, France - Angelique Kerber is through to the quarterfinals at the French Open after knocking out No.7 Caroline Garcia in straights sets in just over an hour on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
Garcia, the last Frenchwoman standing, had reached her only Grand Slam quarterfinal here in Paris last year, but couldn’t replicate the result against the resurgent German, falling 6-2, 6-1.
It was one-way traffic in the opening set for the No.12 seed Kerber, who didn’t face a single break point as she broke the Garcia serve twice. Kerber dropped just one point in her first three service games, keeping the pressure firmly on Garcia.
Kerber started off the second set in similar fashion, breaking twice and building up a daunting 5-1 lead. But Garcia showed every inch of her grit in the marathon game that followed, saving four match points to extend her stay in the contest and grabbing a break back - much to the crowd’s delight.
But their joy was short-lived as Kerber roared ahead in the next game, taking the match on the fifth time of asking to book her spot in the last eight after an hour and seven minutes on court.
“Today she played a very good match,” Garcia said. “She gave me very, very few points. She played very accurately and very precisely.
“I wasn't in it. I didn't manage to find the rhythm, to be focused on my match. Plus the extra tension you have in Roland Garros, things got even worse.
“Once again I exit a Grand Slam disappointed and frustrated because I know I could do better. But you have to learn and continue.”
With the victory, Kerber has reached the quarterfinals or better at all but one of the eight tournaments she’s played in 2018. Today’s result also equals her best-ever result at Roland Garros, having previously reached the quarterfinals here in 2012 before falling to eventual finalist Sara Errani.
“I think I change a lot. I mean, 2012, it's a long time ago,” Kerber said. “I think I'm trying really going out there, trying to enjoying also playing on clay. Because the last years I was always too fast, I was always overpowering my tennis.
“Now I'm trying to play more relaxed and trying to moving better and just looking from match to match.”
Up next, Kerber will face off against World No.1 Simona Halep - the Romanian eased past Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-1 earlier in the day. It’ll be the 11th meeting of their rivalry, which is tied at five wins apiece. Their most recent match, an Australian Open semifinal, went 9-7 in the third set before Halep emerged victorious.
“Long match then, I think,” Kerber recalled. “I think we both play really well from the defense, but we both try to improving to being more aggressive.
“I know what to expect, but at the end I think that I have to take the match in my hand, trying to be more aggressive, and just taking my chances when I get it. But I think at the end, I think it will be a long match.”
