On one that went 15 shots, Pliskova tried a drop shot that Kerber sprinted to reach before scooping a down-the-line forehand victor to a corner.
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However, Pliskova hung in 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 fell right by the baseline to lead 4-3 as she forced a final set. She was a great, reactionary player, but in the crunch moments she would always sit back and watch players find another gear.
New world number one Angelique Kerber won her second grand slam tournament of the year by beating Czech player Karolina Pliskova in the final of the US Open.
“I found out I can play against the best players in the world on the big courts”, Pliskova said”.
Kerber, who defeated Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to add the NY crown to the one she claimed in January in Melbourne, now plans a two-week tennis break. “And yeah, this has definitely been my year”, said Angelique Kerber with a laugh, as she comes to terms with the reality of her spectacular dream season.
Pliskova’s victory ensured Kerber, snapping for weeks at Williams’s heels, would rise to number one – a feat she marked with her second Grand Slam title of the season at Flushing Meadows. Adding the championship at Flushing Meadows was further proof that all of the changes Kerber has made are paying off. “There aren’t many left-handed girls in the top 100, so there is no time where you can practise against a lefty”.
“To be number one of course now everybody will try to beat me and they have nothing to lose”. Suddenly up 4-3 in the set, Pliskova turned to her coach up in the stands and yelled, pumping her fists. “But I think that’s also her strength”.
If Serena Williams had been crowned champion, the American would have overtaken Graf’s Open-era best 22 grand slam titles as well as her unbeaten 186 consecutive weeks at number one.
But at the outset of this final, it was Kerber who was in charge. We all know she’s tough to play and she’s putting so many balls back.
However, she gave up a break in the third set – and felt Kerber’s experience of playing two previous major finals this year proved decisive.
Pliskova broke Kerber for the first time Saturday to go up 4-3 in the second set, then took it 6-4.
“You know, it’s never easy for the player who is attacking and is doing more mistakes”, Pliskova said. “Not even in the beginning”, Pliskova said. She doesn’t give you anything.
Kerber had some early trouble getting her serves to hit properly, and she managed to avoid having her serve broken three times, committing just three unforced errors and taking the set 6-3.
But Pliskova hung in there.
But the 29-year-old Serb finished runner-up in NY for the fourth time after paying a heavy price for converting just three of 17 break points.
Faced with the challenge, Kerber admitted she was “a little negative” in the second set. Andy has one, although also won Olympic gold. “But it’s all gone well”, Kerber said. She’s seven months younger than Novak Djokovic, her No. 1 counterpart on the men’s side.
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The match opened with Kerber breaking a jittery Pliskova and ended the same way.
