It was the ideal way for Kerber to mark her ascent to the top of the rankings, which came about after Pliskova defeated Serena Williams in the semi-finals in straight sets.
Advertisement
As a dad, you always want you little girl’s dreams to come true.
Even after her capitulation in the final game, Pliskova was looking forward to building on her breakthrough Slam performance. She finished the first set by winning 10 of 15 (67%) first serve points against a mere 4 of 14 (29%) from Karolina Pliskova. “I’d like to congratulate you on everything you have done”, said Wawrinka who has now won his last 11 finals. “To being there like a champion this year, to hold this trophy, it’s-I don’t know”. She also turned up at New York Fashion Week, which has been in full swing. It was enough to give a spectator heart-palpitations with its unpredictability; until the very last few games, the title could’ve gone to either Pliskova or Kerber.
Now she has two major titles to go with it. Kerber beat Serena to win the Australian Open in January and also reached the Wimbledon final, where she lost to Williams.
The 28-year-old, who is the first top-ranked player from Germany since Steffi Graf in 1997, posed with her U.S. Open trophy for two photoshoots in the Big Apple after her victory. The new rankings are released on Monday.
Given CAS’s recent history of leniency in tennis doping cases that have been brought before it, there would be no surprise if her punishment was reduced and she returned to the tour, either at the beginning or the end of next summer.
“I was always dreaming to being one day No. 1 and to be in the Grand Slams”, Kerber said. I am not 18, so I was always trying to improving my game. I knew that I have the game to beat the best players and just being patient and working really hard. Li Na, who won the 2011 French Open at 29 and, three years later, the Australian Open. Graf went on to complete the Grand Slam that year – all four majors – and an Olympic gold medal. “Then she has the whole court open (to play a winning shot)”, said the 24-year-old.
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. “Angie proved she is the number one, it was an honour to play her”.
“For me it’s really important to go on my own way and to have her in Germany with all the things she did for tennis, it’s just wonderful”.
Pliskova has been a revelation this tournament, becoming only the fourth woman to defeat both Serena and Venus Williams in the same Grand Slam event.
The amusing thing, though, she did it differently than most. Pliskova changed tactics after losing the first set and made serious inroads by coming in to the net more often. Kerber broke back against Pliskova using a powerful left-handed forehand, considered her signature shot, to grab the steering wheel away from her opponent.
She said at 28 she’s better equipped to cope with the demands of the number one ranking than she would have been earlier in her career.
Advertisement
Kerber begins reign as number one with U.S. Open win was posted in Sports of TheNews International – https://www.thenews.com.pk on September 12, 2016 and was last updated on September 12, 2016.
