Share

Angelique Kerber Captures First Ever US Open

Second seed Angelique Kerber celebrated her rise to number one in the world rankings by claiming the women’s US Open title after beating Karolina Pliskova 6-3 4-6 6-4 in an absorbing final.

Advertisement

But the 24-year-old Pliskova flipped the script by stunning an injured Serena in straight sets in the semifinals on Thursday, marking the second straight year that Williams – a 22-time Grand Slam victor – was ousted in the semis.

“I think I was just believing in myself in the third set and just going for it”, said Kerber. But Kerber just had more left at the end. “I don’t believe it”, said Pliskova, who had never made it past the third round of a Grand Slam in 17 prior attempts. “Its the best year of my career.

But while Williams will do all she can to get back her number one ranking, which she had held since February 2013, Kerber will be keen to make it her own for as long as she can hold it.

Stay with Lob and Smash for more summary of the U.S. Open this year, as well previews of what is to come in the rest of the 2016 tennis season.

“To me, the biggest surprise was Serena lost the two finals at slams and then a semi-final”.

Serena Williams may have been knocked off her perch after 186 consecutive weeks, but the matter of the fact is that she has no points to defend for the rest of the year, having pulled the pin on her season this time twelve months ago.

Karolina Pliskova vowed not to turn her back on her all-or-nothing game despite it falling short in her three-set defeat by Angelique Kerber in Saturday’s US Open final.

In the muggy air at Flushing Meadows, the average speed of her first serve, 102 miles-per-hour (164 kph), was her slowest of the tournament.

Pliskova broke Kerber for the first time Saturday to go up 4-3 in the second set, then took it 6-4.

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.

New world No.1 Angelique Kerber.

She already showed her mental fortitude by foregoing the deep wasteland of recent women’s players who found success in one slam, only to simultaneously find their subsequent results smothered under the weight of success. Since pulling off the ultimate achievement in tennis, outlasting Serena Williams in the third set of a nerve-strewn final at the Australian Open in Melbourne, she had proved her credentials to back up her first major title more than anyone could have imagined.

Serving for the set three games later, the Czech fired her fourth ace of the match out wide for set point.

Angelique Kerber: Angelique Kerber had a summer to remember, starting at the height of the Emirates Airline US Open Series. She had never been past the third round at a major. She has a sister Jessica; the entire family enjoys tennis and Kerber is trilingual – speaking German, Polish and English. It also put Pliskova into the finals of a Grand Slam for the first time ever, where Kerber, her incredible conditioning, and her defensive, decisive style of play were waiting.

“Last year I was sitting at home, making my preparation and my goals were to be playing better in the big tournaments, especially in the majors”.

Advertisement

“Also, how I was dealing with the pressure when I came here and everybody was asking me about the number one”.

Germany's Angelique Kerber US Open