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Angelique Kerber: outside chance at 2018 Australian Open

By Harry Floyd

BEIJING, CHINA - OCTOBER 02: Angelique Kerber of Germany returns a shot against Alize Cornet on day three of the 2017 China Open at the China National Tennis Centre on October 1st, 2017 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Emmanuel Wong/Getty Images)
BEIJING, CHINA - OCTOBER 02: Angelique Kerber of Germany returns a shot against Alize Cornet on day three of the 2017 China Open at the China National Tennis Centre on October 1st, 2017 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Emmanuel Wong/Getty Images) /
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Angelique Kerber is the 2016 women’s singles champion at the Australian Open. Here’s a look at her chances at the 2018 event.

Angelique Kerber faded in 2017 after having a stellar year on the 2016 WTA Tour.

Her 2016 campaign kicked off with a Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Now, she must regain her rhythm on tour start the upcoming season on the right foot.

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Kerber is the current world No. 21 in women’s singles tennis. She posted a 29-24 singles match record in 2017 and did not earn a WTA title. The tour saw many young stars rise in the rankings of women’s singles tennis.

Angelique Kerber is a two-time Grand Slam champion, with both titles coming on the 2016 WTA Tour.

Many have the German tennis star at around a 16:1 favorite to win the 2018 Australian Open. She will need to dig deep and start the year off with a newfound approach.

The 2017 major tournament saw sisters Serena Williams and Venus Williams against one another in the finals. Serena would emerge victorious, winning the finals meeting in straight sets. The defending champion’s schedule remains a mystery as of right now for the upcoming year. After giving birth in 2017, she is expected to return in 2018, but when that return is will be made known in the coming months. If she can return in time for play at Melbourne Park, Williams will be considered the favorite to win.

Next: 10 Best in Men's Singles

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Angelique Kerber has 10 career WTA singles titles to her name. Two of those are major tournament wins. At 29-years-old, the German tennis star has the experience and talent necessary to become a world No. 1 yet again. Fans and players alike will be eyeing how she begins play on tour come January. Other stars in women’s singles to watch include WTA Finals champion Caroline Wozniacki. She remains in search of her first ever Grand Slam title and the Australian Open could be a good place to start. Stay tuned to see how Kerber and others fare at the WTA Tour’s first Grand Slam event of 2018.

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