The 24-year-old Czech tennis star beat the 34-year-old Williams 6-2, 7-6 to make it to the finals of the Open.
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Although Williams injured her left knee earlier in the U.S. Open, she didn’t use it as an excuse for the loss. “This is something incredible and I’m really excited to be in the final, especially to beat a player like this – Serena is a champion, so it’s never easy to play her”. It’s a great day. “To be number one in the world, it sounds wonderful”. She knocked out from US Open women’s semifinals on Thursday.
“So many simple, simple shots that I easily could’ve made and I just blame that on mentally thinking about my leg and just not thinking about the shot”.
If you need any proof that the Czech has momentum on her side, simply look back at her first set against Serena Williams on Thursday. I’m really happy to be there and even have the chance to play in the final here. Last year, Kerber played until the end of the season but Williams did not.
The German will face Pliskova in Saturday’s final after overcoming Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets.
Williams and Graf also share the record of 22 career Grand Slam singles titles.
Kerber made a strong start, racing out to a 4-0 lead before Wozniacki finally started to work her way into the match.
Williams said she was carrying a knee injury but conceded that her opponent was better than her. I wasn’t exhausted. Fatigue had absolutely nothing to do with it.
With the loss Williams will also lose her world No. 1 ranking for the first time in 186 weeks.
“When you’re hampered you’re thinking of other things”, she said.
‘Karolina played great today, ‘ said Williams.
Due to the defeat, Serena also lost the number one world ranking that she held for three and a half years, and Angelique Kerber is now the current number one women’s tennis player in the world.
The upstart Pliskova should give Kerber a tough match thanks to her serving, but the German should leave NY with her second Grand Slam of 2016, along with her new No. 1 ranking.
“I wasn’t able to move the way I wanted to move”.
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Pliskova becomes only the fourth player to beat both of the Williams sisters in a Grand Slam event, after overcoming Venus in the fourth round.
