Wimbledon champ Kerber to defend Sydney title

SYDNEY: Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber will defend her Sydney International title in January in preparation for next year’s Australian Open, organisers said Friday. The German climbed to No.4 in the world rankings after her 6-3 6-3 win over Serena Williams to claim her first Wimbledon title at the All England Club last week. Kerber, who downed Australia’s Ash Barty to win this year’s Sydney International final, said the tournament will be a good tune-up for the Australian Open starting in Melbourne on January 14. "Playing the Sydney International is always a great opportunity to face some top quality opposition," Kerber said in a statement. "Every single match is really tough, so it’s a great way to fine-tune my game after the off-season, and also get used to the weather conditions in Australia, which are quite different to Europe at that time of the year." The Sydney International will take place at Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre from January 6-12.