Kerber outlasts Makarova in Indian Wells comeback

INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA -- No.10 seed Angelique Kerber of Germany turned around a second-round match which spanned two days, ultimately overcoming Russia's Ekaterina Makarova in a three-set thriller, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, on Sunday at the BNP Paribas Open.

"I think I try to change a little bit my game today than yesterday," Kerber told the press, after the match. "I mean, actually I know what to expect, but it was completely different match. I mean, playing also night and day here, the temperature is a little bit different. I was practicing the last few days during the day, so it was also a little bit different."

"So that's why I was just trying to just starting the match from zero and not thinking that I lost the first set. Just going out there and try from the beginning to play my own game."

The two lefties have a lengthy history against each other, having played 13 times previously over the last decade, with Kerber having held a whisker-thin 7-6 lead in the head-to-head. Makarova won both of their meetings last year, including a grueling, dramatic encounter at the Western and Southern Open, which Makarova won in a 13-11 final-set tiebreak.

But it was Kerber who advanced to the third round at Indian Wells this year after two hours and 11 minutes of play. In the German's next match, she will take on Makarova's compatriot and doubles partner, Elena Vesnina, who is also the No.24 seed as well as the defending BNP Paribas Open champion.

"I played [Vesnina] again last year here," Kerber commented. "So it's another match that, yeah, I just can make it better than the last time. I will just try to continue how I played or like how my effort was today, to go tomorrow straight on court and play like I finished today."

Makarova opened the match on a mission, while Kerber initially struggled. The German hit a double fault to cede her opening service game to the Russian at love, and then was broken in her next service game as well, as Makarova hit a rocketing forehand winner on break point to attain a commanding double-break advantage.

However, Kerber finally obtained her rhythm, and the powerful Makarova shots which were on point in the first three games crumbled in the next three. Unforced errors from both wings by Makarova led her to drop her next two service games, and, suddenly, the former World No.1 had tied the set at 3-3.

But Makarova tweaked her game plan, routinely charging the net and putting away volleys for winners, including on break point to lead 4-3. The Russian held for 5-3, staving off one break point with a screaming forehand winner down the line, and a visibly frustrated Kerber meekly gave up the final game of the set with a forehand error that went barely wide.

As the second set began, Makarova had all of the momentum, using both her blistering forehand and varied shot selection to win over half of Kerber’s service points. But rain then came to the desert of Indian Wells, and, after fits and starts, the match was called off for the evening, with Makarova precariously facing a break point in the first game of the second set.

Upon resumption, the match took a different direction in the light of day. Makarova fended off the break point with a good serve that was returned wide, but two points later, dogged defense by Kerber eventually forced an error from the Russian, giving her the first game of the second set.

Makarova pulled the set back on serve after she broke the German at love for 2-2, Kerber firing a double fault while down break point to cede the game. The players then exchanged breaks en route to 3-3, in a wild, topsy-turvy affair that gave no inclination as to who would claim victory in the second day of play.

As the set wore on, though, Kerber's lefty forehand began to improve incrementally, and by the set's midpoint, the former World No.1 was showing that shot off to great effect, often grasping winners from that side with her vaunted passing shots or via cracking down-the-line missiles.

The German opened the 4-4 game with one of those down-the-line forehands for a winner, and quickly raced to a break up once Makarova double faulted to hand that game over. Kerber struggled to close out the set at 5-4, but she successfully resisted four break points before leveling the match at one set apiece.

Kerber had all the momentum over a frustrated Makarova in the deciding set, and she would not squander any of it. The German raced to a 2-0 lead, and though Makarova would break Kerber to tie the set at 2-2, Kerber would not be denied, breaking the Russian immediately thereafter to hold another single-break advantage at 3-2.

It would be one-way traffic from that point for Kerber. The 2016 Australian Open and US Open champion held for 4-2 with an ace, and cruised home from there, reeling off four straight games to reach the round of 32 at the BNP Paribas Open for the second straight year.

"At the end, I can say it was good that it was starting to rain I think once in ten years here," Kerber joked.