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Stuttgart (dpa) - Angelique Kerber did her duty at the start of the tennis tournament in Stuttgart safely.
The three-time Grand Slam tournament winner won 6: 2, 6: 2 on Wednesday against the clear outsider Jekaterine Gorgodse from Georgia, making her place in the round of 16 perfect.
A solid performance against the clearly inferior number 215 in the world was enough for the best German tennis player to win her first clay court match of the season after 72 minutes.
The 33-year-old Kieler left the first two game wins to her four years younger opponent only after an interim 5-0.
“Both sentences were really difficult.
She fought to the last point.
I just tried to stay focused, "said Kerber afterwards on the pitch:" It's great for me to be back in Stuttgart.
Of course it's a bit sad that there are no fans. "
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In the round of 16 on Thursday, Kerber now faces a much more difficult task against the Ukrainian Jelina Switolina.
Kerber has lost the last six duels against the fifth in the world rankings and last won in Montreal in 2016.
For the fourth-placed Ukrainian, after a bye in the first round, it will be the first game in the Stuttgart edition, which is also this year with a high-class cast.
Laura Siegemund and Anna-Lena Friedsam had already made it to the round of 16 on Tuesday.
On Wednesday Tamara Korpatsch was eliminated as the fifth German participant, despite a remarkable performance 5: 7, 6: 3, 3: 6 against the Czech world number nine Karolina Pliskova.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210421-99-296073 / 2
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