Global Chick Gives Us Her Final Thoughts and Tennis News From Stuttgart

Written by: Staff on 26th April 2015

Global Chick Gives Us Her Final Thoughts and Tennis News From Stuttgart |

Final thoughts from Stuttgart

As the final started and the strain of the rather jolly ditty they play each and every match rolled through the air, we had a final that the tournament director might not have dreamt of, but it was pretty good prospect.

On the one hand we had Caroline Wozniacki, who has weathered some storms over the past few months, got her game back on track and even found her way clear to joke with us about how in just one tournament she has managed to beat her whole clay court tally over at least the last two years!

Then we had the quiet heroine in Angie Kerber. This time last year (albeit a little jet lagged from Fed Cup Down Under) she would barely say boo to a goose, but she has blossomed this year. Of course wins in Fed Cup this time around on top of the Charleston title prompted her team-mate and compatriot Andrea Petkovic to tip her for the title, after she came to see the press after withdrawing from the tournament.

Still, the starting list was none too shabby with eight of the 10 Top ten women in the world competing. It was probably always going to be a tall ask (no pun intended) for Maria Sharapova to pull off a fourth straight win. A leg injury picked up during the US hard court swing in the early spring meant she had to pull out of the Fed Cup semi-final being held in her home town in Sochi.

As extra spice, Kerber (and Petkovic) were rested for the first day as the Russians took a 2-0 lead, and it was down to Petkovic and Kerber to pull back the deficit before losing in the decisive doubles rubber.

While the qualifying draw and main draw were being shuffled more than a deck of cards in an Ocean’s 11 type heist, Kerber was the second round opponent for the champion. Coming in to talk to the press beforehand, Sharapova talked the good talk that she was ready, whereas Kerber had been more pragmatic, not really knowing if she would get the benefit from her first round match against Alexa Glatch. Turned out… it would be just fine.

With Wozniacki taking the early initiative, it was clear to see that the human personification of a Duracell Bunny was intending to drive on and on (and off in that white Porsche probably) but a coaching violation at the start of the second set seemed to rock her enough to give Kerber a foot into the match once more.

Even when she was down in the decider, Kerber was fighting for every point, even if she could barely move, having been strapped for the last couple of matches. Three match points went begging, but the atmosphere in the area as she closed it out left us cynical press people quite emotional – not to mention giggling as this normally quite quiet soul grabbed the mic and all but rapped out an Oscar speech-worthy round of thanks to coach, family friends and fans.

The real revelation this week has been watching certain players bloom. Stuttgart has a unique environment. The players walk through the media centre, which in turn looks on to the Centre Court arena, and with just a few chairs, we tended to head to the front. Over time the recognition was there as the usual questions were asked as well as a few left field ones from time to time, but players like Petra Kvitova and Simona Halep were poles apart from last year where they seemed quite reserved.

Step forward as well Caroline Garcia, who ousted Ana Ivanovic from a tournament for the third time, and shyly admitted that when you take out a Top 10 player the first time (or, in this case twice) they want to kill you. To be honest I can’t think of any player less likely to want to kill someone than Ivanovic!

We saw the ‘other’ Madison fly under the radar, making her run to the semi-final and begging not to have episodes of Scandal leaked out to her.

As this chick sat at the airport, idly wondering if Munich at least has a McDonalds, there are plenty of follow up stories to come. (This chick had NO time for food of any sort in the sprint through Munich to catch a connecting flight, in a time Usain Bolt wouldn’t sniff at!).

Kerber’s amazing comeback to get the Porsche, a second clay court title in a row, and to beat friend Wozniacki sets us up for an intriguing run into Madrid, where we take our little suitcase next.

The atmosphere will not be as intimate, and we will be vying for time and attention with the ATP as well, but we will persevere! We will be heading to the culmination of the clay court season with some great memories and results from a host of names to watch.

Watch this space.

Topics: Caroline Wozniacki, Kerber, Maria Sharapova, Petkovic, posche tennis, Sports, Stuttgart, Tennis News, Wozniacki

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10sBalls_com says:

April 26, 2015 at 9:55 pm

Global Chick Gives Her Final Thoughts & #tennis News From @PorscheTennis #Stuttgart – http://t.co/MnAjZFcSjD @AngeliqueKerber @CaroWozniacki