2017 slump was key to Wimbledon title, says Kerber

LONDON: Former world number one Angelique Kerber said her Wimbledon triumph on Saturday would not have been possible without experiencing the lows of last year’s slide down the rankings.

The 30-year-old produced a superb display to beat Serena Williams 6-3 6-3 and become the first German since Steffi Graf in 1996 to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish on Centre Court.Kerber also beat Williams in the 2016 Australian Open final and is the only player, apart from Serena’s older sister Venus, to beat her twice in a Grand Slam final.

She also won the US Open in 2016 and lost to Serena in the Wimbledon final, rising to number one in the WTA rankings.The left-hander struggled to deal with the added focus last year, though, when she failed to win a title and slid from number one to 21 in the rankings.

It was a time for soul-searching but the experience made her stronger and she has rebounded in style, reaching the Australian Open final and the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.“I think without 2017 I couldn’t win this tournament,” Kerber, who will rise back to world number four, told reporters.

“I think I learned a lot from last year, with all the expectation, all the things I go through. I learned so many things about myself.“I also needed to find the motivation after 2016, which was amazing. To make again such a year is impossible. But I just tried to improve my game, not think too much about the results.”