Australian Open Monday, 8 February 2021 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Angelique Kerber Press Conference

these breakpoints that I hit. Of course, now I maybe B. PERA/A. Kerber could go more for it. But in this situation, she really served first serve and hit then the second ball really well. 6-0, 6-4 But, yeah, I had also my chances at the beginning of the THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. second set to make it for 2-1, and I didn't. I think that was the few mistakes in the second set that I make. Q. Talk us through the match today from your perspective. But, yeah, that's .

ANGELIQUE KERBER: I think, yeah, I mean, it was not Q. After the long trip down here, the long time in my day actually. I mean, I was starting really late to play isolation, losing today, do you feel like it's all worth it my tennis. She played really well, especially in the first to come down for this match? set. I think I never saw her playing like that. ANGELIQUE KERBER: First of all, I mean, Australia is But, yeah, I start to feel the ball and also feeling the doing a really good job. Now when you are free, you go rhythm starting in the second set. I make few, like, yeah, outside, everything is open. Of course, it feels like a mistakes especially at the end of the second set to normal life, let's say. maybe come back. But when I'm looking back, of course I was not planned Yeah, but I was not feeling from the start good, so I think the two weeks hard quarantine. I don't know, maybe if I that was then the reason why I lost the match because it knew that before to stay really two weeks in the hard was a late start. quarantine without hitting a ball, maybe I would think twice about that. Q. Do you think the hard lockdown and lack of preparation impacted your play at all? Did it affect But I was trying to take the motivation also for this your rhythm? tournament because it's one of my favorite tournaments. Of course, I knew that we play with a little bit of fans, ANGELIQUE KERBER: Definitely, yes. I mean, of which is always such a different than playing with no course I was really trying to staying positive and doing fans. It makes tennis playing much more fun to play out the best out of the two-week situation. But, of course, there. So that was my motivation. you feel it, especially if you play a real match where it counts and you play the first matches in a , But, of course, if I knew the real situation before my trip, I also against an opponent who doesn't stay in the hard would think maybe twice to come here. lockdown. FastScripts by ASAP Sports I was feeling this at the beginning, that of course my balls are always a little bit out and I was not feeling the rhythm that I was before the two weeks, to be honest. That's for sure, I mean. But what can I do? I tried the best out of it. Of course, you feel it if you are not hitting ball two weeks and you are not in the rhythm.

Q. You seemed to start to come into the match when you had the breakpoints at 5-All. It's an if, but if you got one of them, maybe you could turn it around?

ANGELIQUE KERBER: Yeah, maybe. Maybe yes. You don't know. But she played well. She served good in

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