Australian Open: Fans are in, but crowd numbers are thin arabnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from arabnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
2021/02/08 15:40 Japan s Kei Nishikori serves to Spain s Pablo Carreno Busta during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Au. Japan s Kei Nishikori serves to Spain s Pablo Carreno Busta during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021.(AP Photo/Andy Brownbill) A spectator watches the first round match between Russia s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Japan s Naomi Osaka on Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open . A spectator watches the first round match between Russia s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Japan s Naomi Osaka on Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021.(AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Kerber, the German former world No 1, was one of 72 players who were unable to leave their rooms to train during quarantine after passengers on their flights to Melbourne tested positive for Covid-19.
Her opponent Bernarda Pera was not among that cohort and the American ousted the 2016 Australian Open champion 6-0 ,6-4 in little more than an hour on the first morning of the tournament.
“Of course, you feel it if you are not the hitting ball for two weeks and you are not in the rhythm,” Kerber said after her earliest exit from Melbourne Park for six years.
“I was really trying to staying positive and doing the best out of the two-week situation but you feel it, especially if you play one of the first matches in a grand slam . against an opponent who didn’t stay in the hard lockdown.”
1. SERENA WILLIAMS
There were feewer than 1,000 fans inside Rod Laver Arena when Williams took to the court at lunchtime but the 23-time grand slam champion was unfazed. Sporting a striking pink, orange and black ensemble she dropped her first service game before asserting her authority and taking the next 10 games against the German Siegemund to win in just 56 minutes.
It was an ideal easing into the Open for Williams who looked a step or two off peak match fitness but powered to a routine win from the baseline. The entertainment came post match in the obligatory on-court chat when Williams was given a microphone that towered above her, causing her to arch her head up and back in a Liam Gallagher type stance.