“I don’t think much went well today”, Williams told reporters (h/t Nick McCarvel of USA Today).
Advertisement
A 6-4 6-3 semi-final victory for Kerber ensured the German will be able to call herself the best female tennis player on the planet when the new rankings are released on Monday. “I wasn’t exhausted from yesterday’s match”, said Williams. “Steffi’s a great player and a great person, and I think she’s proud of me, to be the next one after her”.
Williams added she is used to playing matches on back-to-back days given it is commonplace at most events outside the grand slams.
The German left-hander was assured of becoming No. 1 when the new rankings come out on Monday after top-seeded Serena Williams of the USA was defeated by Czech 10th seed Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) in the earlier semi-final.
The American who becomes the latest US Open casualty following the early exits of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray has also lost her No 1 spot in the WTA ranking to Australian Open Champion, Angelique Kerber.
Williams did not move at her usual pace during her semifinal, and she appeared to be having problems with her left knee.
The Czech 10th seed stunned Williams 6-2 7-6 (7-5) in the semi-finals on Thursday, ending the American’s 186-week reign as world number one.
“America probably hates me because I beat Venus and Serena”, the 24-year-old said after the match, as she beat both Williams sisters in this same U.S. Open.
“I had a goal today: to beat Serena”, Pliskova said in her on-court interview (h/t Greg Garber of ESPN.com).
For the second year in a row, Serena Williams’ bid to make history ended with a shocking loss in the U.S. Open semifinals. “Even if I don’t get it, it’s a big result”.
“I knew I had the chance to beat anyone if I played my game”.
“When you’re hampered, you’re thinking of other things”.
There won’t be quite the buzz at Arthur Ashe Stadium without Serena, but consider this reading of the final: These could be the players, along with Garbine Muguruza, who pose the greatest threat to Serena’s ability to win Grand Slams over the next several years.
“Obviously, she’s had a great year”, the Dane said. “I just blame that on just mentally thinking about my leg and just not thinking about the shot”.
Either way, Pliskova surely contributed to Williams’ woes.
Pliskova serves well, leading the tour in aces this season, and her angled offerings gave Williams fits.
Kristyna, meanwhile, has just one piece of ink on the inside of her left arm. Venus extended Pliskova to three sets, as she won the first set before Pliskova took over in the second and third. Then came Williams, never one to back down, going ahead 5-4, just two points from forcing a third set.
Advertisement
Instead, Kerber forced her opponent into a volley error on that point and two points later won the match when a backhand that looked like it might sail over the baseline instead landed on the line and elicited a mistake from Wozniacki.
