Angelique Kerber v. Monica Puig rematch at Dubai Tennis Championships

Angelique Kerber grabs a much needed opening round win in Dubai. She now faces Monica Puig for a rematch of their 2016 Olympics showdown.

Angelique Kerber is the current world No. 2 in women’s singles tennis.

Her 2017 season has been filled with ups and downs thus far. Last week in Doha, she was upset in her first match of the tournament. Now, with an opening round win in Dubai, she aims to continue winning as she takes on Monica Puig.

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In 2016, Kerber faced Puig in the gold medal singles match at the Summer Olympic Games in Rio. Puig took home gold, defeating the world No. 2 in three sets, 6–4, 4–6, 6–1.

It was only the third time the two have faced one another. Kerber remains ahead, 2-1, over Puig throughout their career.

Puig is coming off of a second round meeting in Dubai where she defeated the tournament’s No. 15 seed, Caroline Garcia, in three sets. If she can knock off the top seeded Kerber, her path to victory will be far easier.

A strong showing in Dubai would help Puig’s 2017 season. After slow starts at tournaments in January, she bounced back with several wins in last week’s Qatar Total Open in Doha. She eventually fell in the semifinals at Doha, losing to former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. The Danish tennis player is also still alive in Dubai.

A win over Puig would do a lot to boost Angelique Kerber’s confidence. She is in a position to regain ground on world No. 1 Serena Williams with strong play over the next several weeks. Also, with world No. 3 Karolina Pliskova upset early in this week’s tournament, Kerber has a clearer path toward victory in Dubai.

Next: 2017 WTA Tour: 5 Players To Watch

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