Angelique Kerber Stunned by Bernarda Pera in 1st Round of Australian Open 2021 With First Set Bagel

For her first round at the Australian Open 2021, Angelique Kerber faced off against Bernarda Pera. Considering Pera is the World N0. 62, many expected an easy win for Kerber. However, that wasn’t the case at all as she lost the match 6-0, 6-4.

Angelique Kerber vs Bernarda Pera: The First Set

Pera completely dominated the first set of the match. She broke Kerber three times and ended up dishing out a bagel to the former World No.1. It was a disappointing start for Angelique, who was barely able to win any points against the American. She now had her work cut out in the second set if she were to stay in the Grand Slam.

The Second Set

The second set was very important for Kerber, and she did not start it well at all. She was broken in the very first game by Pera, who consolidated the break by holding her own serve for a 2-0 lead. The American broke Kerber again in the next game to extend her winning streak to nine games in a row.

Despite her form looking bleak, the German did put up some fight and tried to get back into the match. She broke Pera in the next game and held her serve to lower the deficit. However, unfortunately for her, Pera still had the advantage.

Kerber needed to break Pera once more to restore parity in the set, but it proved too difficult a task for her. Despite a lot of pressure, the American held her nerve and served out the match 6-0, 6-4. It was probably her biggest win yet, and a great start to the 2021 Australian Open.

This was certainly a disappointing loss for Kerber, who was aiming to win her first Grand Slam since 2018. She has not been playing her best tennis in recent years, and she clearly wasn’t able to play it here. Hopefully, we will see her return stronger, in better form later in the season.