Stuttgart. With the support of the crowd in the Porsche Arena, Porsche Team Germany will be looking to remain in the World Group in the Fed Cup tie against Australia over the weekend.
“We feel at home in Stuttgart,” said team captain Barbara Rittner, who will be appearing for the third time in a row in the state capital on 21 and 22 April. “Australia is a really tough opponent but with the fantastic spectators behind us, we’ll do everything we can to turn our home advantage into a win.”
Porsche Team Germany with Angelique Kerber, Andrea Petkovic, Julia Görges and Anna-Lena Grönefeld have been preparing in the Porsche Arena for the play-off since Monday. Just who she will send out on court against the strong Australians including their top player Samantha Stosur is something Barbara Rittner wants to decide after further practice sessions on Friday.
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Only Angelique Kerber is a certainty. The 24-year-old German won her first ever rubber for Germany in the Fed Cup first round tie against title-holders the Czech Republic in February and then her season really took off. In Paris, she celebrated her first ever WTA Tour title, she reached the semifinals at the million dollar tournament in Indian Wells and last weekend she won the indoor event in Copenhagen.
“The wins have given her masses of confidence and it doesn’t matter on which surface. I’ll obviously be nominating her,” said Barbara Rittner. Angelique Kerber showed herself to be a team player at the press conference in the Porsche Arena: “We want to have success together as a team and we support each other no matter who’s out on court.”
For the first time since her long injury break due to a stress fracture in her lower back, Andrea Petkovic is back in the Porsche Team Germany squad. Whether she will play or not is not something she is really thinking about.
She assured everybody:
“The most important thing is that I’m back to one thousand per cent fitness and that I’m not in pain any more. I’ll try to support the team as best as I possibly can, whether it’s on the court or on the bench, we’ll see. I’ve been practicing well over the past few days but practice is different to a real match.”
A lot speaks in favour of Julia Görges being chosen for the second singles on Saturday. She last year won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in the Porsche Arena and produced a top class performance against Petra Kvitovain the tie against the Czech Republic – additionally she has already won twice against Samantha Stosur, the world No. 5.
However, Barbara Rittner did not want to lay her cards openly on the table three days before the first balls are struck in earnest.
“In the end,” she said, “the form on the day will decide who will be nominated.”
Beginning at the same time as the Fed Cup play-off against Australia is the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. Seventeen of the world’s Top 10 players, including Victoria Azarenka, the new world No. 1, and, for the first time, superstar Maria Sharapova will be competing at the 35th edition of the long-standing tournament in Stuttgart which goes on until 29 April.
Tickets for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and the Fed Cup are available via Easy Ticket Service (telephone +49 711-2555 555, Internet http://www.easyticket.de) or at the Porsche Arena box offices during the tournament week.
SOURCE: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and the Porsche Team Germany photo libraries Porsche Press Data Bank
Communication Porsche AG
Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Claus-Peter Andorka
Tags: Andrea Petkovic, angelique kerber, Anna-Lena Grönefeld, barbara rittner, Julia Görges, Porsche, Porsche Arena, Porsche Tennis, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Porsche Tennis Team Deutschland, Porsche Tennis Team Germany
Stuttgart. The world’s top tennis players are ready for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska won the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, the dress rehearsal for the world’s best in the run-up to the long standing tournament in Stuttgart, with a 7-5, 6-4 victory in the final against the Russian Maria Sharapova.
She duly celebrated the biggest success of her career. Together with the Miami finalists, 19 of the world’s Top 20 will be lining up in the Porsche Arenafor the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix from 21 to 29 April. It is a new record.
The million dollar tournament in Miami was also an important stopover en route to Stuttgart for the Porsche Team Germany members.
The player to progress the furthest was Sabine Lisicki, who, despite putting on a good performance against the world No. 8 Na Li from China, only narrowly missed out on a quarterfinal place.
Sabine Lisicki, Porsche Team Deutschland
“I played well and have moved another step forwards. It gives me extra confidence,” said the German. In Stuttgart last year, she won the doubles playing alongside the Australian Samantha Stosur and reached the quarterfinals of the singles.
This time around? “I’ll try to be more consistent in my play and win the important points. Then everything’s possible.”
Sabine Lisicki, Porsche Team Deutschland
Sabine Lisicki in Miami Seaquarium
Sabine Lisicki in Miami Seaquarium
Sabine Lisicki in Miami Seaquarium
And Angelique Kerber, who this year won her first ever WTA title in Paris and stood in the semifinals of the Indian Wells tournament, is also looking forward to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. “It’ll be one of the highlights of my year,” said the 24-year-old.
Angelique Kerber, Porsche Team Deutschland
She’s certain the early loss in Miami, where she was defeated in her opening match by the strong Chinese Jie Zheng, won’t set her back:
Angelique Kerber, Porsche Team Deutschland
“There’s bound to be days when things don’t go well but I’ve learnt to deal with them. I look forwards.”
For Barbara Rittner, the Porsche Team Germany captain, the tournament in Miami was highly positive. She was especially pleased with the display of Mona Barthel, who swept aside Jelena Jankovic, the former world No. 1.
Mona Barthel
Mona Barthel
And naturally the news that there is nothing standing in the way of the long-injured Andrea Petkovic making a return in Stuttgart. With a view to the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and the Fed Cup play-off against Australia, which will be played in the Porsche Arena on 21 and 22 April, she is also very confident:
“The girls are right on track, I’ve got no worries.”
Tickets for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and the Fed Cup are available via Easy Ticket Service (telephone +49 711-2555 555, Internet http://www.easyticket.de) or at the Porsche Arena box offices during the tournament week.
SOURCE: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix – Porsche Team Germany – Porsche Press Data Bank
Communication Porsche AG & Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Tags: agnieszka radwanska, angelique kerber, barbara rittner, Miami, miami seaquarium, Porsche, Porsche Arena, Porsche Team Germany, Porsche Tennis, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Porsche Tennis Team Deutschland, Porsche Tennis Team Germany, Sabine Lisicki, samantha stosur, sony ericsson open, Stuttgart, tennis grand prix
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Impressive performance by Porsche Team Germany player in the final
Julia Görges just misses out on causing a sensation in Dubai
Stuttgart. Just inches away: Julia Görges lost the final of the two million dollar
tournament in Dubai after an impressive performance 7-5, 6-4 against the
For the 23-year-old member of the Porsche Team Germany, who made her
debut at the Premier Event tournament in the Gulf state, it was nevertheless
the biggest success of her career.
She pocketed 446,778 dollars prize money and moved up the WTA rankings
to No. 16 – her career highest position.
“Jule has had an excellent week. And she gave a good account of herself in the final,” praised Barbara Rittner, the captain of the Porsche Team Germany.
“When you consider that she had been on court an extremely long time in three of the previous matches, then you can only take your hat off to her.”
One of those matches was the semifinal against the former world
No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, whom she had defeated in the final of the
 Julia Görges, Porsche Team Deutschland
Agnieszka Radwanska, the new world No. 5, had earlier in January comprehensively
beaten her 6-1, 6-1 in the last 16 of the Australian Open. In Dubai, the German and
the Pole were evenly matched.
“She killed me in Melbourne. I did everything wrong there,” she said prior to the final. “This time everything starts from scratch again. When you stand in a final, you have to go out and give it your all. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Though she immediately lost her serve, she fought back to level at 4-4. In the
decisive stage she however made a few unforced errors that Agnieszka Radwanska
took advantage of to win the set.
In the second, Julia Görges quickly went 4-1 down. Though she clawed her way
back to 4-3, the Pole, who had knocked out Sabine Lisicki – another
Porsche Team Germany player – in the quarterfinals, converted her second match
point after 1 hour 44 minutes.
 Julia Görges, Porsche Team Deutschland
Julia Görges and Agnieszka Radwanska will also be in the line-up for the 2012 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
All the top 10 players, including for the first time the superstar Maria Sharapova, have
signed up for the 35th edition of the long standing tournament in
Stuttgart’s Porsche Arena from 19 to 29 April.
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Communication Porsche AG
Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
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Tags: agnieszka radwanska, barbara rittner, Caroline Wozniacki, decisive stage, Dubai, Germany, Julia Görges, Maria Sharapova, Porsche, Porsche Arena, Porsche Tennis, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Porsche Tennis Team Deutschland, Porsche Tennis Team Germany, Sabine Lisicki, tennis grand prix, wta rankings
Fed Cup, 1st Round in the Porsche Arena, Stuttgart: Germany – Czech Republic
Fans in der Porsche-Arena
Stuttgart.In the opening tie of the 2012 Fed Cup season, Porsche Team Germany thrilled the sell-out crowd in the Porsche Arena with their great fighting spirit and excellent tennis – even though it did not suffice for them to progress to the hoped-for semifinal berth in the first round match against title-holders the Czech Republic.
Image via Wikipedia - Eingang Porsche Arena in Stuttgart
Though unable able to take their chances in the decisive moments, Sabine Lisicki, Julia Görges, Angelique Kerber and Anna-Lena Grönefeld nevertheless showed themselves to be a strong team in the 4-1 defeat.
Barbara Rittner (l.), Angelique Kerber, Porsche Team Deutschland
“We’re leaving Stuttgart with a great feeling,” said captain Barbara Rittner when summing up the Fed Cup weekend.
“I’m so-so proud of the girls. They’ve showed they’re highly talented and can excite the spectators.
Everything is very positive even though it wasn’t enough to win against such a strong opponent. Now we’re hoping for the luck of the draw and will do our very best to stay in the World Group.”
After Sabine Lisicki surprisingly lost the first rubber on Saturday 6-2, 4-6, 2-6 against Iveta Benesova and Julia Görges’ 6-3, 3-6, 8-10 defeat against Petra Kvitova in a high-class tennis thriller, Porsche Team Germany stood with their backs to the wall on Sunday.
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Sabine Lisicki had to win to keep her team in the race to the semis, Cheered on by the Stuttgart crowd, the German, who played nowhere near her best the day before, took the first set 6-2.
Sabine Lisicki, Porsche Team Deutschland
She continued to play well in the second set against the Wimbledon champion and the current world No. 2 but eventually succumbed 6-4. In the third, the Czech proved to be too strong when running out a 6-2 winner.
“We’re obviously very disappointed. Nevertheless I’m very proud to have played much better today than I did yesterday,” said Sabine Lisicki, the world No. 14.
“Yesterday, I immediately lost plot when things weren’t going well. Today I served far better and my groundshots were also better. Unfortunately though I didn’t win the vital points and it made all the difference.
However these kind of matches are the ones that help me to improve this aspect of my game.”
With a bit of luck in the draw, the play-off, whereby the winning nation will contest the 2013 World Group, could also be staged in the Porsche Arena on 21 and 22 April.
Sabine Lisicki, Porsche Team Deutschland
Sabine Lisicki would be more than happy:
“It’s great playing at home.
The atmosphere in the Porsche Arena is awesome. It’s such fun and really motivating.”
In the second rubber of the day, Angelique Kerber notched up the first point for Porsche Team Germany.
Angelique Kerber, Porsche Team Deutschland
The German, who was one of last season’s top up-and-coming players after reaching the semifinals at the US Open, had relatively little trouble in overcoming Lucie Hradecka 6-4, 6-4.
Lucie Hradecka (CZ)
Angelique Kerber, Porsche Team Deutschland
“I’m so proud to have won my first Fed Cup singles for Germany,” she said.
“Even though it made no difference to the result, I gave my all – also for the crowd which has given us such fantastic support over the past two days.”
Iveta Benesova/Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova won the concluding doubles 6-3, 7-6 against Julia Görges/Anna-Lena Grönefeld.
Communication Porsche AG
Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
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Porsche Arena
Fed Cup, 1st Round in the Porsche Arena, Stuttgart: Germany – Czech Republic
Porsche Team Germany still hoping to reach semis
Tennis Fedcup World Group First Round 2012 – Germany Czech Republic in Stuttgart Germany – Porsche Team Deutschland: Anna-Lena Grönefeld, Sabine Lisicki, Barbara Rittner, Julia Görges, Angelique Kerber (v.l.)
Stuttgart. Porsche Team Germany hasn’t give up hope yet of reaching the Fed Cup semifinals.
Porsche Team Deutschland: Julia Görges, Angelique Kerber, Barbara Rittner, Anna-Lena Grönefeld, Sabine Lisicki (v. l.)
Even though, in spite of putting up stiff resistance, they are 2-0 behind at the end of the first day of the first round tie against title holders the Czech Republic in the Porsche Arena, captain Barbara Rittner still feels they are in with a chance of advancing.
“We’re not going to let our heads drop,”
she said, “Nothing’s lost yet.”
At the premiere of Porsche Team Germany, the sell-out crowd in the Porsche Arena experienced an unbelievably exciting tennis thriller. Julia Görges, who celebrated the biggest success of her career by winning the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix at the same venue one year ago, played out of her skin against Petra Kvitova.
Julia Görges, Porsche Team Deutschland
Petra Kvitova (CZ)
In the third set of the top class match, she had the Wimbledon champion and winner of the WTA Championships 2011 on the verge of a defeat. The German eventually went down 6-3, 3-6, 8-10 against the current world No. 2.
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“In the first moments after such a tight match one’s naturally disappointed,” she said, but, “I can’t put any blame on myself but it just wasn’t enough in the end.
Nevertheless we’re not giving up. We’re a strong team and it’s not all over in such a situation.”
Commenting on her return to the Porsche Arena she said: “I had goose bumps all over. I really enjoyed everything out there. It’s an unbelievably nice feeling when everybody’s right behind you.”
In the opening rubber, Sabine Lisicki surprisingly lost 6-2, 4-6, 2-6 against Iveta Benesova. After taking the first set comfortably, it seemed the German, the world No. 14, would win the first point for Porsche Team Germany.
Sabine Lisicki, Porsche Team Deutschland
Iveta Benesova (CZ)
But then in the second set she failed to convert the chances she had to break and proceeded to let the match slip.
“I played aggressively from the start and kept fighting to the end,” said the visibly disappointed Lisicki, “but I didn’t serve hard enough and I couldn’t get any length in my shots.
It was the main reason why I wasn’t able to turn the match around in the third set.” She had no problems with pressure of being the team’s No. 1: “I normally play better under pressure.
But unfortunately it didn’t work out that way today. I hope I can show it again tomorrow.”
In spite of trailing the defending champions, Barbara Rittner is still hoping her players can pull off a surprise on Sunday.
Barbara Rittner, Julia Görges, Petra Kvitova (v.l.)
“Julia forced Petra to dig very deep physically in a fantastic match and Sabine can definitely play much better than she did today,” said the German captain.
“Up until the moment the Czech Republic wins the third point, then nothing’s decided.”
Starting at 11.00 am (local time), two further singles and a doubles will be played in the Porsche Arena on Sunday.
SOURCE: Porsche AG Media Database
Communication Porsche AG
Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Tags: angelique kerber, barbara rittner, Barbara Rittner, Czech Republic, fed cup semifinals, Germany, Julia Görges, Julia Gorges, Porsche, Porsche Arena, Porsche Tennis, Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Porsche Tennis Team Deutschland, Porsche Tennis Team Germany, Sabine Lisicki, Stuttgart, stuttgart porsche, tennis grand prix, wimbledon champion, wta championships
Porsche Team Deutschland: Sabine Lisicki, Anna-Lena Grönefeld, Barbara Rittner, Angelique Kerber, Julia Görges (v. l.)
“We’re always in with a chance”
Stuttgart. Porsche Team Germany are highly confident going into the Fed Cup 2012.
“We’ve got some strong players and we can beat anybody on a good day,” said team captain Barbara Rittner at a press conference in Stuttgart’s Porsche Arena where the first round match against the Czech Republic will be staged on 4 and 5 February. “We want to show that we’re in the World Group by right.”
In the opening tie of the world championships for women’s national teams, Barbara Rittner is pinning her faith in Sabine Lisicki, whose great performances have moved her up to 14th on the WTA World Rankings, Julia Görges (No. 21), Angelique Kerber (No. 27) and doubles specialist Anna-Lena Grönefeld.
Andrea Petkovic, last season’s most successful German player, is not available due to a back injury.
Porsche Team Deutschland bei der Pressekonferenz in Stuttgart: Angelique Kerber, Julia Görges, Barbara Rittner, Sabine Lisicki, Anna-Lena Grönefeld (v. l.)
Barbara Rittner nevertheless sees Porsche Team Germany as being in with a good chance.
“We’ve got strength in depth,” she said. “It can make all the difference in the end.”
With Petra Kvitova in their team, defending champions the Czech Republic will be lining up with one of the world’s top players. The current world No 2 last year won the Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon as well as the WTA Championships in Istanbul and she recently reached the semifinals of the Australian Open.
Her teammates are Lucia Hradecka (No. 47), Iveta Benesova (No. 49) and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (No. 53). Barbara Rittner:
“Obviously in the opening tie, I’d have wished for an easier opponent than, of all people, the title-holder. But if our players play to their limits, and with the crowd behind us, then we definitely stand a good chance.”
Sabine Lisicki, who has no qualms at being the German No 1 for the tough encounter, sees things the same way.
“For me it doesn’t mean any extra pressure, I see it more as being as a form of motivation,” said the world No 14 who lives in Berlin.
Julia Görges, who celebrated her biggest career success by winning last year’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in the Porsche Arena, is primarily pinning her hopes on the home advantage.
“The spectators will be right behind us for sure. For me personally, it’s doubly motivating to play in the Porsche Arena. Just entering the hall two days ago was a fantastic feeling.”
Angelique Kerber will be playing for Germany in the Fed Cup for the first time after a four-year absence. “It’s great being back in the fold,” she said.
When asked whether Porsche Team Germany have got a chance against the strong Czech side, Anna-Lena Grönefeld simply replied: “We’re always in with a chance.”
After the Opening Ceremony at 11.45 am (local time), two singles are on Saturday’s schedule in the Porsche Arena.
Starting at 11.00 am, Sunday’s play will take in two singles and the doubles. Tickets are available at Easy Ticket Service (telephone +49 711-2555 555, internet http://www.easyticket.de).
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