×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Home To Bold Columnists
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download App

TENNIS: Birthday girl Kerber unwraps perfect present

Angelique Kerber of Germany returns the ball against Jelena Jankovic of Serbia during their final match at the WTA Hong Kong Open tennis tournament in Hong Kong, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

World number one Angelique Kerber gave herself the perfect birthday gift on Wednesday by reaching the Australian Open third round, but she had to work hard against fellow German Carina Witthoeft.

The defending champion, who turned 29, battled through 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2 and will next face Czech Kristyna Pliskova, the twin sister of fifth seed Karolina Pliskova.

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.
Fact‑first reporting that puts you at the heart of the newsroom. Subscribe for full access.
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Uninterrupted ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimized reading experience
  • Weekly Newsletters
  • MPesa, Airtel Money and Cards accepted
Already a subscriber? Log in