“For me everything started here in 2011”, she added, referring to when she made the semi-finals ranked No.92.
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After beating Karolina Pliskova yesterday, 6-3 4-6 6-4, Kerber finished off a great Grand Slam season that saw her win Australia and NY and be the runner up in Wimbledon.
In Kerber’s case, she eventually made it to her first final, facing probably the most dominant player of all time, Serena Williams, in the Australian Open at the beginning of the year. In fact, the 22-time grand slam German spent a few days with Kerber a year ago when she was at Indian Wells in March.
Her face has adorned some of the water bottles at Flushing Meadows through an enduring contract with the official supplier. “Then she has the whole court open”, said Pliskova. “She doesn’t give you anything”.
She trailed by a break at 3-1 in the third set before taking five of the last six games against 10th seed Pliskova, who had not been past the third round at a major until this tournament. Because I was a lot of hours on the practice courts, sweating and everything, and you are just playing for this moment to being on the center court in the final and with the awesome crowd. “Now I can also take the next step and try to stay as long as I can there”. Kerber embraced the big stadiums, the boisterous crowds, the notion she belonged on those stages.
The Sharapova episode has added to the sense that 2016 will go down as a year of high profile absences in women’s tennis, while 2017 may become known as that of the comeback. “And now, to be the next after her, to be a German No.1 and win grand slams, this is, for me, really important”.
And that run in Melbourne nearly never happened.
Pliskova arrived in the final on the back of an 11-match winning streak and also having beaten Kerber in the final at Cincinnati last month.
“After that, everything starts this year”, Kerber said. Wawrinka and Kerber were serviceable players who were of course good, and could be counted on to get through the first week, maybe as far as a quarterfinal, at best semifinal of a grand slam.
She went on to stun Serena Williams in the final, though that achievement wasn’t easy to handle at first.
It was the Swiss player’s first NY title, following his breakthrough 2014 Australian Open triumph and last year’s Roland Garros crown.
“I think I did a great job”, she said in her post-match press conference. “To win here is very special for me”.
Kerber had already moved to the world number one position in the WTA rankings when she registered straight-sets win over Caroline Wozniacki in the last four of the season’s final major. She played that final, and won it.
Beltz, a former journeyman player on the men’s tour, can now shave the two-week beard he was growing during Kerber’s run, something he said he planned to do Saturday night.
Monday’s rankings are the first since February 2013 without Williams at No.1.
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Pliskova was the first player to take a set off Kerber at Flushing Meadows. She is a great person and a great champion.
