After becoming just the fifth German woman to crack the world’s top five, 2012 was the definition of a breakthrough year for Brisbane International fourth seed Angelique Kerber.
Aside from achieving her best ever ranking, Kerber also claimed her maiden WTA title, made the quarter-finals of the French Open and went within one game of an appearance in a Wimbledon final.
However, there is one match in particular that stands out above the rest.
It was an August quarter-final at Cincinnati where Keber managed to achieve the seemingly impossible. She was the one who broke Serena Williams’s 19-match winning streak.
Reflecting on that 6-4, 6-4 victory over Williams, the 24-year-old credits an unwavering mindset as crucial to her success.
“I was not thinking that Serena is on the other side of the court, I think that is one of the secrets … I was just focusing on me and not Serena,” she said.
“I had a lot of confidence after that match and it shows me also that I can win against the big players.”
If all goes to plan, Kerber can expect to meet plenty of other big names in her Brisbane International debut this year.
But in typical fashion, she is more concerned with getting her own game in order than the person positioned on the other side of the net.
“I just go out there and try to play my game, it doesn’t matter who my opponent [is],” she said.
Kerber, who lists the Australian Open as her favourite Grand Slam event, is already enjoying the laid-back feel of Brisbane.
“I really like the people here and the weather, everything is nice and it’s so relaxing to play here. It’s a beautiful place,” she said.
But she’ll definitely have game face on when she meets Georgia’s Anna Tatishvili in Round 1.
“[I need to] keep working and fighting until the last point – they’re the two things I learnt last year,” she said.