Australian Open champ Angelique Kerber, who beat Keys in the semis, plays Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig for gold later Saturday.
Advertisement
It was a more convincing win in Toronto in 2015 with her younger rival winning just five games, and so this really is hard to call as both have come a long way since and with an Olympic gold medal on the line, they’ll likely take their game up to another level.
Puig fended off a flurry of break points in the final game before eventually sealing the most unlikely of victories with her fourth match point. As the third seed at the Citi Open last month, she lost in the second round to American Lauren Davis, who is ranked 43rd in the world.
“I knew, actually, that she’s a great player”, the German said.
The 22-year-old Puig was born in Puerto Rico. She finally halted Puig’s run in the sixth game and earned three break chances in the next, with her opponent serving for the match. We saw how she took away rhythm and frustrated Johanna Konta, and Kerber knows that Puig’s confidence will be high.
Earlier in the day Venus Williams confirmed that she will leave the Rio Olympics with a medal after reaching the mixed doubles final with her partner Rajeev Ram.
But the Puerto Rican hit back in the final set.
“I ” m speechless”, a smiling Puig said after her historic win. She bravely staved off both break chances and went on to hold serve.
World no. 14 Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic reaches the semis past the Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.
Angelique Kerber will deny Puerto Rico a gold medal with a straight sets victory.
Kerber has won both career meetings with Puig both on hardcourts.
This has been a welcome patch of good health and powerful play from the American, who broke the Top 10 earlier this year on her way to claiming the Birmingham title. She said she won’t be continuing her stay in the Olympic Village through the closing ceremonies.
Advertisement
But Puig got back into that set by breaking to 4-all when a 23-stroke exchange ended with Kerber dumping a forehand volley into the net.
