Angelique Kerber’s first attempted tryst with the Qatar Total Open came way back in 2007. She was 19 years old then but already had four years of experience as a pro, albeit a struggling one, and still without a singles title.
But the grind associated with the school of hard knocks was to continue for a very long time. The German failed to make the main draw in Doha, bowing out in the qualifying tournament itself, probably leaving her grappling a few seeds of doubt in her mind. Am I really cut out for success as a tennis player? She must have asked herself.
This question would crop up every time she took part in events over the next five years, as her travails continued. In an age of prodigies, she was a nine-year veteran of the circuit, but with precious little to show for it. How do you win a title? She didn’t seem to have the answer.
But while prodigies excite the sports world for obvious reasons, there’s something equally appealing about late bloomers too. Their struggles add to their charm, the scars of failure add to their maturity. When she finally cracked the code in 2012, winning the Danish Open in Copenhagen and the Open GDF Suez in Paris, she must have felt a heavy weight lifted off her shoulders.
In the Paris tournament in Feb 2012, she had defeated home favourite Marion Bartoli in the final. Two months later, she accounted for another home favourite, Caroline Wozniacki, in Copenhagen. 
But more importantly, those wins cleared her doubts. Bartoli had reached her highest-ever world ranking of 7 a month before she faced Kerber in the Paris final, going on to win Wimbledon next year. 
For the first time maybe, Kerber must have realised she belonged in the game. Wozniacki, who she beat for the Danish crown had won six titles in both 2010 and 2011 and was tipped for greatness, although she only managed to nail her first Grand Slam title, the Australian Open, in 2018.
Kerber, the non-prodigy, beat her by two years to that, winning the Australian Open in 2016, at the expense of none other than Serena Williams. The same year she won the US Open with a win over Karolina Pliskova in the final. Finally, after 13 years since turning pro, she had become the World No.1, before prevailing over Serena to triumph at Wimbledon in 2018.
Now the World No.6, she is making her 10th appearance in Doha, aiming for her first title, after having lost to Simona Halep in the final of the 2014 edition. She flew to Doha several days ahead of the tournament to get acclimatised to the conditions at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.
“I mean, first, it’s nice to being back here. I came a little bit earlier to get ready for this tournament and to get used to the courts, to the weather, conditions and everything,” the third seed told journalists at her first press conference.
“And the year, it’s just the beginning of the year. For me, it’s always the goal to have, like, a really consistent year to play good in the big tournaments. This is also the goal this year.”
Kerber, who was the second seed at last month’s Australian Open, was shocked by American Danielle Collins in the fourth round. After the defeat she went back to Germany to work on her fitness and conditioning. 
“I had like few days off, and then I start to getting ready the few fitness days. Then, like I said, I come here a little bit earlier to get ready for the tennis. 
“For me, it’s important now to enjoy my tennis. I think if everything came together, I can still playing better, playing the same, and, you know, it’s always important to improving, improving my tennis. This is what I’m trying to do.”
The 31-year-old, who has been given a bye into the second round, still doesn’t know who she will be playing first but says she never looks at the draw.
“I saw against who I could play, but that’s it. I mean, I’m not the player who is really watching the draw. I know who is playing here. I know it is a tough draw.
“I think it’s also good for us to have, yeah, huge competition. I mean, this is always the challenge if you’re going to the tournament. Yeah, let’s see. You know, I like to play here. I mean, of course the conditions are always a little bit different than if you play like during the day and the night sessions.”
Romanian Simona Halep is the top seed in Doha, with the Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova second and Kerber third, followed by Elina Svitolina, 
All three were formerly at the top of the women’s rankings, Halep only being shifted from her perch by Naomi Osaka last month after the Australian Open. Osaka withdrew from the Qatar Total Open citing injury. Pliskova won the title two years ago.
World number seven Elina Svitolina of Ukraine — a wildcard replacement for Osaka — is the fourth seed.
World number eight Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands and Wozniacki, ranked tenth, are also in the fray. Wozniacki finished second to Pliskova in 2017.
Meanwhile, Svitolina accepted the Doha wildcard after initially opting to rest following the Australian Open where she struggled with neck and shoulder problems.
The 24-year-old says she has recovered earlier than anticipated.
“This tournament, you know, here is always tough,” she said. 
“Everyone wants to play, everyone wants to play well. That’s why it makes it not easy at all. There are lots of good players, you know. We have lots of players who play well, who is consistent. I think top 5, top 10, lots of strong field of players. It’s not going to make it easier.”
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