ANGELIQUE KERBER stopped Maria Sharapova’s Aussie Open comeback dead in its tracks.
What was supposed to be a classic duel between two former Melbourne champions and world No 1s was a mostly one-sided affair.
Kerber, apart from a lull in the second set, seemed back to her best as she stormed to a 6-1 6-3 victory.
Sharapova, with the exception of that short spell, was too erratic and served too poorly to give herself a chance against a far superior opponent.
Kerber destroyed Sharapova in the first set.
The German broke the Russian’s serve three times, hitting the ball hard and clean and blowing the erratic Sharapova off the court.
Kerber was right back in the groove which had brought her an unbeaten start to the year and fuelled talk that she had regained the form which had taken her to this title in 2016 and world No 1.
The only game 2008 Aussie Open champion Sharapova won came after she had saved another break point with a dead netcord.
Little seemed to be changing in the second set when Kerber raced into a 2-0 lead.
But for no apparent reason her level dropped suddenly and Sharapova was able to break back.
Her first serve percentage had been as low as 25 per cent, but that statistic began to improve and with it her chances of wresting control from her opponent.
When a backhand return winner brought up a break point and a trademark yell of “C’mon!” from Sharapova, you thought she might be on the point of turning the match on its head.
But Kerber held serve and then broke in the very next game, with help from a double fault and a fluffed drop shot.
And the German served it out to ensure she would be the only former Aussie Open queen left in the draw.
An emotional Kerber said: “I have so many great memories from this court.
“I came out here trying to enjoy every point.
“Maria is a champion. She’s played so good in the last few weeks.
“I was just trying to play my game.
“I’m so happy it’s 2018 not 2017.”
Kerber lost her way badly after a stellar 2016 brought Grand Slam titles in Melbourne and New York.
The weight of being world No 1 and a big star seemed to weight heavy on her.
A change in her back-up team, to hook up with Jo Konta’s former coach Wim Fissette, seems to have turned the clock back two years.
Kerber said: “Everyone who knows me knows I always come back.
“Wim is another voice. We have a lot of fun on and off the court. That’s the most important thing: to trust, to enjoy, to play.”
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