Although Pliskova crushed Kerber 6-3, 6-1 three weeks ago at their contest in Cincinnati and had knocked out the top-seeded Serena in the semi-finals, along with her sister Venus in the fourth round, Kerber came back with a vengeance on Saturday, moving her off her game in the first set.
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While the German pocketed an unlikely second Major title of the season, Sharapova’s next engagement is likely to be with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, who any week now are due to hear her appeal against a two-year ban for taking Meldonium.
Kerber takes home the winners’ cheque for 3.5million U.S. dollars and becomes the first woman, other than Williams, to win two grand slams in a year since Justine Henin in 2007.
“It’s actually just incredible because everything starts here 2011 (when she lost in the semifinals) and now I’m here 2016, five years later, and I’m standing here with a second Grand Slam trophy and it means everything to me”.
Angelique Kerber, fresh from her US Open triumph, tops the WTA rankings Monday, ending the 186-week reign of Serena Williams, in second place.
And after frittering away her first four break points of the match, she converted her fifth with a lob-volley victor that curled over Kerber and alit right by the baseline.
“And now, to be the next after her, to be a German No. 1 and win Grand Slams, this is, for me, really important”.
With the win, Kerber takes home $3.5 million in prize money, while Pliskova bagged $1.75 million.
When Pliskova’s final forehand sailed out, Kerber was launched on a joyous celebration, climbing into box where coach Torben Beltz was sitting then returning to the court where the tears flowed.
Kerber has said that the advice Graf gave helped her with her turnaround and she “got rid of my doubts”.
She was able to maintain it with authoritative play from the baseline, fending off three break points before cracking Pliskova’s serve again when the Czech double-faulted to give her a set point.
Pliskova committed 17 unforced errors alone in that first set.
“I used to watch a lot of her matches and I remember that all the matches were very fast”.
“For sure, when I was growing up, Steffi was my idol”, Kerber said. She won the deciding set 6-4, in a match that lasted over two hours.
“It was not so easy because Karolina is a tough opponent and she was up a break early”.
The German was back on top of her game with a hold for 4-3, running for a stinging forehand victor to the corner for game point that fully restored her morale.
“He couldn’t win this but I did so, yeah, get it up you, Andy!” I play for the love of the game. She further said, “She told me I was in a good way, to believe in myself, and one day the time will be there”.
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Much to Wawrinka’s irritation, at 1-3 Djokovic called the trainer and took a medical timeout for treatment for blisters.
