Quiet Enemy of Angelique Kerber: The best German tennis player made a successful start at the WTA Championships in Stuttgart.

The three-time Grand Slam winner won her first round match against Georgian Gekaterin Gorgudsi 6: 2, 6: 2 on Wednesday. And in the round of 16, Kerber, who won the title in Stuttgart in 2015 and 2016, will face fourth-placed Ukrainian Jelena Sweetolina.

Kerber denies starting her season on the clay courts in Swabia, and wants to make her disappointing start unforgettable. 1:12 hours later she turned her second match point against Lucky Loser Gorgodse and just celebrated her fifth victory in the tenth game of the season.

Korpatsch out – Friedsam and Siegemund connect

Tamara Corbatch, however, suffered a defeat upon her return to the WTA Tour. The 25-year-old from Hamburg, who moved to the main draw as a lucky loser, lost to Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic), who was bottom of the world ranking 5: 7, 6: 3, 3: 6 in the first round. For Corbac, it was the first match in the tour since the first round at the French Open last September.

Of the eight Germans who started on the main square, only three have reached the Round of 16. In addition to Kerber, Anna-Lena Friedsam (Newaid) and Laura Sigmund (Metzingen) also won their opening matches. Sigmund challenges world number one Ashley Barty of Australia on Wednesday night.

Sports Information Service (SID)