BIRMINGHAM, Great Britain – A handful of points from elimination to start the day, No.6 seed Carla Suárez Navarro won back-to-back matches on Friday to roar into her first career Premier-level grass court semifinal at the Aegon Classic, narrowly defeating No.2 seed and reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.
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“It was really tough,” an exhausted Suárez Navarro said in her on-court interview. “Angie was fighting all the time, til the end. Every point was very tough; we had to fight five, six balls to win each point. But I’m really happy with the way I finished the match.”
Suárez Navarro began the day forced to resume her rain-delayed second round encounter with Andrea Petkovic, who had won the first set on Thursday. The Spaniard turned the tables on the former French Open semifinalist in dramatic fashion, winning a pair of tie-breaks to dispatch the German veteran, but her day wasn’t over yet as Kerber loomed later in the afternoon.
“When I play really aggressive, I can go into the net and finish the point. It’s much easier for me. Today, I was very good with my backhand and finished a lot of points at the net. I will try to play like this tomorrow!”
A solid doubles player, the Spaniard noted that she’s no stranger to doubling up during the week.
“When you play singles and doubles, sometimes you have to play two matches,” she said in her post-match press conference. “You spend a lot of time in the club. But a long time ago, I don’t remember that I play two singles in the same day.”
On her weakest surface, Suárez Navarro took it to the 2012 Wimbledon semifinalist, hitting 33 winners to just 23 unforced errors, and emerged victorious in a 36-minute opening set.
“All the time I go on court on grass I try to play aggressive, try to think that I can play good on grass.
“I’ve have good matches here, try to have also good matches in Eastbourne. Then the final test is Wimbledon, you know. Try to be ready for Wimbledon.
“At Wimbledon, all the players are there. The best players, you know. Women’s tennis right now is really close. All the matches are difficult.”
Kerber, who hit 38 winners and 25 unforced errors in her second match of the day (after defeating Australia’s Daria Gavrilova), was hoping to defend a title for the second time in 2016, and raced through the second as the Spaniard began to fade.
But Suárez Navarro held her nerve in an epic deciding set, serving out a titanic final game that forced her to save three break points that, had Kerber converted, led to her second final set tie-break of the day.
“I had to fight and play my best tennis to beat the best players. But I really enjoyed the match-up today.”
A disconsolate Kerber looked for a silver lining following the disappointing defeat.
“I had few matches before Wimbledon. That was my goal. Of course, it was not the score I would like to have after this tough match, but still I think I’m finding my rhythm.
“I’m playing good tennis. Today was a close match, just one or two points decided the match. Carla won at the end. It’s always tough to play against her. We always have tough matches.
“That’s all I can say. I just take positive things from the week. I’m feeling good on grass. This is the positive thing I will take into Wimbledon now.”
Saturday’s semifinal between Suárez Navarro and Madison Keys not only determines who will reach the championship match, but also who reaches the Top 10. Keys won their only previous match back in 2013, but the American needed three sets to defeat the wily veteran.
“She serves really good and has a lot of confidence, so I’ll try to enjoy my game tomorrow and enjoy the match.”
When asked what she planned to do at the end of a long day, the Spaniard admitted she’ll be taking in some football and root for her home team.
“I have my physio here with me, so I’ll have a really good massage. I’ll also watch the Spanish team at the Euro Cup, so I’ll relax a little bit tonight!”
Earlier in the day, CoCo Vandeweghe won her eighth straight match with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Yanina Wickmayer, while Barbora Strycova won an entertaining two-setter against former Wimbledon semifinalist Tsvetana Pironkova, 6-2, 7-5.
“Playing two matches today isn’t easy,” Vandeweghe said after her quarterfinal win. “We had a two-hour break and then to go out and compete again, because we both had full matches to play.
“We were facing the same conditions, which is good when you’re playing an opponent that is in the same predicament as you are instead of a fresh opponent that hasn’t played a match that day.
“I think I definitely have the confidence. There’s no reason I shouldn’t. I haven’t lost a match yet. That definitely helps in the big moments. I’m not panicking.”
Playing some of her best tennis of the year on grass, the American shrugs off notions that this is her best surface, pointing to the quantity of grass court tournaments – or lack, thereof.
“I’m not immune to social media. I’ve seen the stats, the SAP stats and whatever of me on grass versus other surfaces, so I only have one comment to that.
“They take a grass court season, that’s so small, there’s only three tournaments, excluding Wimbledon, to play, four if you include Wimbledon. So four tournaments out of the year I’m playing, those stats are taking off hard court that’s two-fourths of the year, and then clay that’s one forth of the year. I think those stats aren’t quite where I’d — I kind the scoffed at them a little bit.
“My stats would probably, if you took my best four hard court tournaments, I think they’d be up there as well.”
