STUTTGART, Germany: Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber picked up her second title of 2016 with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over qualifier Laura Siegemund in Sunday’s final of the WTA clay-court tournament in Stuttgart.
“It’s amazing to be able to defend my title here — there is nothing better,” beamed Kerber.
“I needed a bit of time to find my rhythm, so I was glad I was eventually able to stop her.”
In an all-German final, Kerber claimed her first win since her Melbourne riumph in January with an impressive display against Siegemund, who had beaten seeds Simona Halep, Roberta Vinci and Agnieszka Radwanska, all ranked in the world’s top ten.
Having not dropped a set en route, this was Siegemund’s debut in a WTA final and Kerber’s first since the Australian Open as she defended her Stuttgart title.
Kerber, the world number three, got off to a false start when she found herself 3-0 down in the tight first set, before fighting her way back.
She then raced into a 2-0 lead in the second as Siegemund had to briefly receive treatment.
Kerber then dominated the 28-year-old Siegemund, who will shoot up the world rankings from 71 to 42 on the back of her performances in Stuttgart, and kept finding her shots on the baseline to quickly race to a 4-0 lead.
Having broken Siegemund to go 5-0 up, Kerber used her first championship ball to seal the win which again includes the prize of a luxury sports car.
