The German will face Pliskova in Saturday’s final after overcoming Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets.
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However, the night at Flushing Meadows ended up with a jubilant Kerber showing her class to dispose of Wozniacki.
But now she’s on an 11-match winning streak.
“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.
No matter who wins, someone’s making history; either Kerber will have her first U.S. Open title or Pliskova will become a first-time Slam champion.
Pliskova, who has led the WTA Tour in aces the last two seasons, kept the 34-year-old American under pressure nearly from the start and had break chances on all but one of Williams’ service games in the first set and converting twice.
But that doesn’t mean Germany’s Kerber has forgotten Pliskova’s upset win over her last month in the final at Cincinnati – denying Kerber’s first attempt to nudge Williams from the top of the rankings.
Kerber, who becomes the only German woman other than Graf to get to No. 1, had a chance to overtake Williams last month by winning a hard-court tournament in OH, but lost the final there to Pliskova.
“I’m not going to sit here and make an excuse”, said Williams, 34, as reported by ESPN, during her post-match press conference. “So it was not so easy mentally”.
She also said she wants to try to control points more than she did the last time she faced Pliskova. “It’s something really special”.
Angelique Kerber is plotting revenge over her friend Karolina Pliskova to celebrate becoming world number one by winning her first US Open title on Saturday. Instead, it is Kerber stirring the Graf legacy. “To be number one in the world, it sounds unbelievable”. “It’s an honor for me. I always knew I have a chance to beat anyone if I’m playing my game”, the AP reported. I can’t say anything too much [about Pliskova] after [Serena] playing like this.
Kerber, who finished 2015 ranked 10th in the world, is into her third Grand Slam final of the season after fashioning an upset win over Williams at the Australian Open in January and falling to the American in the title match at Wimbledon.
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“Since the start, it was awful”, Patrick Mouratoglou said. Final or first round, it doesn’t matter. “At this point of her career, she can’t be happy being in the final”.
