2016 Champ Angelique Kerber Exits The 2017 Open On Day 2

Apparently, Angelique Kerber can’t enjoy prosperity.

Last year’s US Open Women’s Champion is not going to defend the crown after losing this year in the first round to Japan’s Naomi Osaka, 6-3 6-1.

It was a complete breakdown for the No. 6 seed, who just didn’t have anything today.

“It was not my day, completely not my day today,” Kerber said.  “Of course, matches are always different than practice, and I just can say that I was practicing a lot in the last few weeks and months.

“Yeah, of course it’s not the result, and I’m sad, but, yeah, I don’t know. Yeah, match is always different.”

You have to wonder if prosperity hurt the German, who after winning in Australia and in Flushing Meadows last year, had a disappointing 2017 with two fourth round losses in OZ and Wimbledon and going out in the first round at Roland Garros and here.

Kerber becomes the second US Open Woman’s champ to go out in the first round the year after winning it with Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2005 being the first and now will drop out of the Top 10 in the rankings.

Because of her success, she became a star in Germany, which meany more media attention and TV appearances, which could have hurt her on the court

But the 29 year-old isn’t using that as an excuse.

“I’m trying not putting too much attention on this,” she said. “I’m trying to really focus on my stuff and my team, on the people that knows me. They know me, and they know how I’m feeling and what we are doing and what’s our goal.

“But, of course, it’s much bigger than it was, like, one or two years ago. But this is the part of it, I know, and, you know, I’m trying to not put too much attention on this part.”

With Simona Halep losing to Maria Sharapova last night and now Kerber going down today, two of the Top 6 seeds are out of the Open in the first two days. It’s a testament to how wide open the Women’s field is this year.

And you may have to wonder if the winner will come out of nowhere to take this year’s crown.

It should be an interesting two weeks.

All Outside Matches Cancelled: With rain hitting the New York area, the US Open became a one stadium tournament with the covered Arthur Ashe in business today.

It works for television, since there is something to put on the air, but it will cause a logjam over the next few days as the Open tries to absorb this.

Next year, it will be a bit easier, since the new Louis Armstrong Stadium will have a roof as well, but that’s a 2018 feature.

About the Author

Joe McDonald

Editor-in-Chief
Joe McDonald is the founder and former publisher of NY Sports Day. After selling to i15Media in 2020, he serves as the Editor-in-Chief and responsible for the editorial side of the publication. In the past, Joe was the managing editor of NY Sportscene magazine and assistant editor of Mets Inside Pitch. He has covered the Mets since 2004.

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