In a huge upset, the seventh seed toppled the 34-year-old 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to win her maiden major title and become the first German Grand Slam champion since Graf at the 1999 French Open.
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The world number one is the overwhelming favourite to win her seventh crown at Melbourne Park and match Graf’s career Grand Slam haul, warning she is in even better form than past year, when she won three major titles.
The combination of Williams unforced errors along with Kerber playing the angles to keep the World No. 1 player guessing, tossed in two drop shots for a crucial break in the long sixth game of the third set, and continually tried to pass the 21-time major victor or forced errors at the net.
Kerber, who was making her Grand Slam final debut against an opponent she’d beaten just once in six previous meetings, took the first set after 39 minutes having capitalised on 23 unforced errors from Williams.
Kerber said she had “one leg on the plane home” when match point down against Misaki Doi in the opening round but now, seven victories later, she is an Australian Open champion.
“What a insane match, really well played and so well fought”, Huber, 41, told SID, an AFP subsidiary. So I definitely can play more consistent and more mentally stable, so to say.
“Steffi, write me please”, Kerber said jokingly in an on-court interview after advancing to the first Grand Slam final of her career.
Rattled, Williams cleaned up her act in the second set and it went with serve until the fourth game when two Kerber double faults helped Williams to a 3-1 lead. “She played so well today and she had an attitude that a lot of people could learn from: To always stay positive and to never give up…If I couldn’t win, I’m happy she did”. The fact Williams could not quite manage it leaves 22-time major victor Steffi Graf’s Open era record safe for the moment.
“My dream came true tonight”, the emotional 28-year-old said after her 6-4 3-6 6-4 victory.
Her hopes of pulling off a rare calendar grand slam were left in tatters once again, only four months after they were crushed in the U.S. Open semifinals by Italian Roberta Vinci. I had also like a few downs where I was not so believing in myself.
At stake for Williams is more than just another Grand Slam title for her collection.
She need not worry too much just yet as she holds a buffer of almost 4,000 ranking points to current world number two Simona Halep, who suffered a shock loss in the first round at this year’s tournament.
“I think I get the second chance and I take my chance to be here in the finals against Serena”.
“I kind of relish every win and every final and every match now”.
Serena Williams of the United States walks to her chair during a break in her women’s singles final match against Angelique Kerber of Germany at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Ja…
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And with a great big smile on her face, Kerber followed Williams to the podium. I don’t know how many messages I get.
