Angelique Kerber is the first big casualty at the 2021 Australian Open. The former champion here in Melbourne is convinced that the hard quarantine she had to endure is largely to blame for her loss.
The 23rd-seeded Kerber lost the first nine games of her encounter with American Bernarda Pera on Day 1. Midway through the second set Kerber finally found her rhythm and even had break points for 5-all, but the unseeded Pera fought off that late challenge and triumphed 6-0 6-4.
After the match, the former world No.1 Kerber said that her 14-day confinement to a hotel room definitely hampered her preparation for the Australian Open.