We know Angelique Kerber is courageous. For proof, look no further than that crazy Sunday morning dip in the murky Yarra River after her 2016 Australian Open triumph over Serena Williams. We also know she is resilient, for the well-publicised 2017 let-down has been followed by an unbeaten start to a season in which all is well again in Kerber’s world.
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So well, in fact, that the 21st seed has surged into her second career semifinal at Melbourne Park. Kerber dominated the in-form US Open runner-up Madison Keys 6-1 6-2 in Wednesday’s blink-and-you’d-have-missed-it first quarterfinal on Rod Laver Arena. Just 51 minutes. Yikes. What a drubbing.
"I have a lot of confidence and belief in my game already, because I start the year good, played good in Perth, and I won Sydney. That gives me a lot of confidence to coming here,'' said Kerber, the last Grand Slam champion remaining in the women's draw. "Also, all the memories, of course, I will never forget the memories I had 2016 here, so that's why I feel so good.''
Kerber’s happy place had been something of a torture chamber in the previous round in that marathon against unseeded trickster Su-Wei Hsieh, but she completely outplayed the big-hitting Keys, who failed to fire on a big occasion, just as she had in the final at Flushing Meadows in September against her friend and fellow American Sloane Stephens.
But her coach Lindsay Davenport keeps reassuring the 22-year-old that she is on the right path, and Keys, believes it, too. "I think how I played all of the other matches definitely shows that, and I'm not going to walk away from this tournament and think it was terrible because I had one bad match.
"I definitely think I have taken a lot of steps in the right direction and feel good about my game and feel like I'm thinking a lot clearer out there. I think it's just going to take a little bit of time.''
Each player hit 13 winners, but Kerber a far more frugal seven unforced errors to Keys’ 25, using placement to move her opponent around the court and draw mistakes on both shot selection and execution. But there was more to it than that, with forehand passing shot winners down the line and lobs among a full repertoire.
"I know I'm good from the defence, and this is what makes me strong, also, that I know that I can run, that I can bring a lot of balls back,'' said Kerber. "But on the other side I know that I have to try to improve my game, as well.
"I know that I can play aggressive. I show this so many times during my practices. Now I just try to do it also during the matches, to improving my game. I think this is what was the goal for this season, and I try to improving it in every single match.''
Keys has noticed, and while pleased with her fight, the 17th seed was less impressed with her inability to find the middle ground between aggressive and consistent herself against a counter-puncher-plus who takes so much time away that "what might be considered a safe ball against some people isn't, because you know you're going to be on the run. And she will come forward, and she just does a really good job of balancing getting every ball back but also putting you in a bad position''.
"She definitely played ... more aggressive than any other time I have played against her,'' said Keys, who is now 1-6 against the rejuvenated left-hander, and believe she opened too passively. "She was hitting winners, I really didn't have an answer for anything today.''
The signposts in the previous round pointed to a far closer contest, Keys having continued her run of straight-setters with an ominous display against world No.8 Caroline Garcia. But the gritty, consistent Kerber is a very different type of opponent, and the one more ball she kept making Keys hit was often one too many.
After Keys’ serve was broken in the opening game and she failed to convert two chances on Kerber’s, it was a rout. The German lost only four of 23 points on a first serve remodelled with the help of new coach Wim Fissette. It’s almost like 2017 never occurred.
Certainly Kerber is weary of talking about her trials last year, but the dual major winner is as fresh as she could be in most other respects. She was leaving Fissette to scout her semi-final opponent, either Simona Halep or Karolina Pliskova, while planning an ice bath and a nice afternoon off.
“Being here again, you are working for these moments, and being in the semis again means a lot to me,’’ said the first-round loser at Melbourne Park 12 months ago.
"I just try to enjoy myself again on court. I know that I was working hard in the off-season, and I know that I can play good matches. I know that I can win close matches and also, going out there and playing good in the bigger tournaments. I just try to finding the feeling back that I had, like, 2016 and just enjoying my time on and off court.''
Kerber turned 30 last Thursday, joking that she is too old to keep running for every ball, these days “so I having to change something”. For the better, so far. Much. Even if Kerber insists that in other ways she feels just like before.
"I'm the same person like I was also last year,'' Kerber smiles. "I think the only thing has changed that I learned a lot, a lot of experience from last year. From the years before, as well. Not only from 2016. Also 2014 and 2015.
"I think that also gives me a little bit of confidence that I know what to expect now. And, you know, I had a tough last year, so that's why I think that I'm just looking forward and I'm proud how I get through all the last weeks and being in the semis again in a Grand Slam.''
