Defending champion Angelique Kerber survives scare to beat Lesia Tsurenko

ByTom Adams

Updated 16/01/2017 at 11:53 GMT

Defending champion and top seed Angelique Kerber battled her nerves and faltered badly with victory in sight before finally overcoming Lesia Tsurenko 6-2 5-7 6-2 to reach the second round of the Australian Open on Monday.

The 28-year-old German was starting the defence of a Grand Slam title for the first time and initially struggled with her serve and the accuracy of her groundstrokes on Rod Laver Arena.

Once she found her range, however, Kerber proved more than a match for world number 51 Tsurenko, who was reduced to scrapping to save her serve and the odd pearl of a consolation point off her rasping backhand.

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The German's nerves returned when Kerber was serving for the match, however, and the world number one started ballooning shots all over the place, allowing her Ukrainian opponent to break back for 5-5.

Tsurenko grasped her opportunity with both hands and broke the Australian and U.S. Open champion again after a marathon nine-minute game to send the match into a decider.

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The third set developed into a battle of wills but Kerber grabbed the key break for a 4-2 lead before rattling off the next two games to set up a second round tie against compatriot Carina Witthoeft.

Kerber has made an unconvincing start to the season following two early losses in Sydney and Brisbane but the German has fond memories of Melbourne, the scene of her first major triumph 12 months ago.

There was some irony too in how Tsurenko was spurred on by saving the second-set match point, given it was Kerber who came within one point of defeat in the first round here last year against Misaki Doi before going on to claim the title.

"I was thinking about it," Kerber said on court afterwards. " To be honest I was thinking that this was a match point and after last year I was thinking about it.

"But I am in the second round. First rounds are always tough. I am trying to enjoy it, it's amazing to be back."

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