Berlin, Buenos Aires: A fortnight after winning the Australian Open final to claim her first Grand Slam title, Angelique Kerber is still waiting for her trophy to arrive back in Germany.

After her shock win over Serena Williams in Melbourne, the 28-year-old did not want to carry the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, which weighs 10 kilograms (22lbs), in her hand luggage on her long flight back to Germany.

She opted to have it sent back to Europe - except it still has not arrived. “It’s somewhere in the air in a plane or on a ship. I don’t know where it is,” the 28-year-old told broadcaster ZDF.

“It weighs 10 kilos and I preferred to leave it behind rather than bring it back from Melbourne in my hand luggage.

“I have a tracking number and I hope it will arrive back to me in the next few days.”

Since returning to Europe, Kerber, the world number two, says she has not even had time to use the tracking number to check exactly where her trophy is.

Since her Australian Open victory, Kerber played in Germany’s Fed Cup World Group first-round defeat to Switzerland last weekend when she beat Timea Bacsinszky, then lost to teenage rising star Belinda Bencic, who is now ranked 11th in the world. The Germans lost 3-2 and will play Romania in a relegation play-off on April 16-17.

Meanwhile, Venus Williams defeated Japan’s Misaki Doi 6-4, 6-2 to win the Taiwan Open in Kaohsiung. The victory was the 49th WTA singles title for the seven-time Grand Slam winner, who did not lose a single set in the tournament.

In Buenos Aires, former world number one Rafa Nadal wasted a match point as he slipped to a surprise semi-final loss to Austrian Dominic Thiem on his beloved clay at the Argentina Open on Saturday.

The defending champion was one point away from victory at 5-4 in the third on Thiem’s serve but the Austrian rallied, forcing a tiebreak which he controlled from the off to take the contest 6-4 4-6 7-6(4).

“It was an amazing match for me,” world number 19 Thiem said.

“It was very tight from the beginning. It’s special to play against the big guys, and to beat one is a dream come true. In the third set, Nadal really stepped up but I was able to counter-attack and play incredible shots.” Spaniard Nadal’s loss was another early season setback for the 14-times grand slam champion who was dumped out of the first round of the Australian Open by unseeded compatriot Fernando Verdasco, one of the biggest shocks of the tournament.

Thiem will face another Spaniard in the final after Nicolas Almagro beat second seed and former champion David Ferrer 6-4 7-5.