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Angelique Kerber appears right at home at the Sydney International

By Harry Floyd

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 08: Angelique Kerber of Germany plays a forehand in her match against Camila Giorgi of Italy during day three of the 2019 Sydney International at Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre on January 08, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 08: Angelique Kerber of Germany plays a forehand in her match against Camila Giorgi of Italy during day three of the 2019 Sydney International at Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre on January 08, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images) /
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German tennis star Angelique Kerber sets out to defend her title at the Sydney International. She opens the tournament with a win.

Angelique Kerber fought hard in her first set against Italian tennis player Giorgi before finding herself and cruising to victory. Winning the tiebreaker in the first, Kerber would move on to take her opening match at the Sydney International in straight sets. She defeats Giorgi in the round of 16, winning 7-6 (3) 6-2.

Fresh off of another runner-up finish at the Hopman Cup, Kerber is off to a great start on the 2019 WTA Tour. As the defending champion in Sydney, this is exactly the start she was looking for.

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After finishing her 2018 tour in top form, Kerber has reemerged as one of the best players in women’s singles tennis. Her season kicks off on a high note. Up next for the German tennis star is the quarterfinals in Sydney.

Although Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic took home yet another Hopman Cup title, Kerber did her part and performed extremely well at the event. She has carried that momentum right into WTA action at the Sydney International.

All eyes are on the Australian Open right now. Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki has been ousted at the Auckland Open. She must prove that she is capable of defending her title. If players such as Wozniacki or Simona Halep struggle in the coming weeks, Kerber could be a top pick to take the title in women’s singles at the Australian Open.

Next. Top 5 AusOpen Picks: Men's Singles. dark

Stay tuned to see how Angelique Kerber fares throughout the remainder of the 2019 Sydney International and all of this year’s WTA Tour. She is the second seed as Romanian great Halep is also in action against Ashleigh Barty. The top seeded Halep faces a tough matchup with Barty who is fresh off of a win over Jelena Ostapenko. Check back for updates on both Kerber and Halep’s progress in Sydney.

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