“And here, to now being a grand-slam champion from the US Open, the second title in one year, that gives me a lot of confidence as well that it’s not one grand slam that I won at the beginning of the year”.
Advertisement
Pliskova’s victory ensured Kerber, snapping for weeks at Williams’s heels, would rise to number one – a feat she marked with her second Grand Slam title of the season at Flushing Meadows. She is also the oldest women’s player to achieve the minted ranking for the first time.
“She really proved she’s the world No. 1”, Pliskova told the fans. “And after years (when) Serena was there, I think it’s a nice change”. Instead, Williams and Graf remain tied on both. Margaret Court is the all-time women’s leader with 24 major titles.
The former world number one rocked yet another fashion show at NYFW 2016, showing the world that she has plans on increasing her net worth even when she is not doing so well professionally. She suffered a first round exit at the French Open but made it to the finals of the Wimbledon only to go down fighting against Serena.
Kerber, sensing an opening, stepped up the pressure and pace getting triple break point at 5-4 and closed out the contest on the first match point.
The first was a walk in the park for Kerber as it seemed the nerves of being in the final at Flushing Meadows had caught up with the power-serving 6-foot-1 Czech player.
Three important finals and two successful wins (Andy with Wimbledon and the Gold and Kerber with the Aussie and United States slams). “Usually in years past she gets more caught out in the first week, not the second week”.
“For sure, when I was growing up, Steffi was my idol”, Kerber said. She skipped the US Open because she is pregnant. “So there is a whole bunch of stuff going on, but the younger generation is definitely coming up”. “Great to see some other girls winning the title, not only the same person”.
On one that went 15 shots, Pliskova tried a drop shot that Kerber sprinted to reach before scooping a down-the-line forehand victor to a corner. Pliskova cleared the road ahead for the champion when she defeated Serena in the semi-final on Thursday.
“Yeah, I have been having some serious left knee problems”, Williams said. While she will still go down in history as the best tennis player ever, right now, she is second to Angelique Kerber in terms of WTA rankings. “When I was a kid, I was always dreaming to be the number one player in the world and to win Grand Slams, and today’s the day”. And to being No1, of course now everybody will try to beat me and have nothing to lose. I will try to take this challenge, because it will be a little bit new situation for me.
Kerber, who collected $3.5 million in prize money Saturday, lost to Pliskova the last time they met, just three weeks ago in the final of a hard-court tournament in Cincinnati.
Roberta Vinci, the US Open runner-up in 2015, dropped from No.8 to No.15 on Monday after losing to Kerber in the quarterfinals last week.
“I don’t think Serena is going anywhere”, ESPN’s Mary Jo Fernandez said.
Advertisement
“He couldn’t win this but I did so, yeah, get it up you, Andy!”
