Kerber was previously a player known for crumbling under pressure but seemed to have a watershed moment when defeating Serena Williams in January’s Australian Open final and has continued to impress.
Advertisement
Kerber, who reached the finals at the Rio Olympics as well, leads Pliskova 4-3 in head-to-head matchups, but was blown off the court in their most recent duel, losing last month’s Cincinnati final 6-3, 6-1. As Kerber gets ready to wear the No 1 crown, she would love to celebrate the occasion with the US Open title.
“I think I played an incredible year. I always knew I have a chance to beat anyone if I’m playing my game”, the AP reported. “So I definitely wasn’t exhausted from yesterday’s match at all”.
At 28 years old, Kerber is the oldest player to debut at No. 1 and the first German to hold the honor since Steffi Graf’s reign ended in 1997. My mind was just a little bit everywhere.
Today’s winners of the men’s semis, play for the championship money and cup on Sunday. “I think if she had played any less then maybe I would have had a chance”, said Williams.
Williams was bidding to surpass Steffi Graf’s Open-era record 22 major triumphs but she bowed out in Arthur Ashe Stadium to a ruthless Pliskova, who won 6-2 7-6 (7/5). “I just blame that on thinking about my leg and just not thinking about the shot”. As Venus and Serena Williams saw first-hand, the 6-foot-1 Pliskova goes right at opponents with big, flat groundstrokes and tough-to-handle serves. Kerber would have taken over the No. 1 ranking had she won that day, but Pliskova captured a breakthrough title and has ridden that momentum since.
Pliskova has certainly proved her mettle here, having also knocked out Venus Williams in the fourth round, but previously her success had largely come at tournaments away from the grand slams.
She’s just the fifth player to reach her first three Grand Slam finals in one year.
“I don’t see how it’s not fair”, Williams said.
“When you’re hampered you’re thinking of other things”, said the American, a six-time US Open champion.
Kerber said she will learn the lessons from her loss to the Czech, who has won 11 matches in a row and had never been beyond the third round of a major before arriving in NY. Pliskova’s power is of the sort that Williams so rarely is forced to confront, much like the difficulties Williams’ game presents others.
Advertisement
Kerber, who beat twice Wimbledon victor Petra Kvitova in the fourth round and last year’s Open runner-up Roberta Vinci in the quarters before eliminating former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the semis, is now focusing on a second slam title.
