Newly crowned US Open women’s champion Angelique Kerber can be hailed as the reigning queen of women’s tennis.
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“It still sounds a little bit insane”, Kerber said a few hours later, the U.S. Open trophy by her side. Pliskova, meanwhile, converted just two of seven break-point chances.
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. She had never gone past the third round in a major and beat Venus Williams and Serena Williams to reach the final, saving a match point against Venus Williams in the fourth round.
Kerber took advantage of Pliskova’s miscues to open the match with a break.
Serving for the set three games later, the Czech fired her fourth ace of the match out wide for set point.
The bottom-line numbers confirmed this: Pliskova hit 40 winners, but they were countered by 47 unforced errors.
Kerber seized her chance with a forehand down the line to pocket the first frame in 44 minutes.
“I won my second Grand Slam in one year”. Even after failing to earn Olympic golds, her supporters and even her critics were sure Williams would capture the title, but she didn’t.
Kerber has a wonderfully complete game. She went on to take a 4-3 lead, using a ferocious forehand to secure the game, a shot that drew audible gasps from the jam-packed crowd.
And now, Angelique Kerber has won two of the past four majors. World number one Serena Williams is the heavy favourite for the title.
Pliskova said she felt no sadness in defeat.
The German defeated Karolina Pliskova 6-3 4-6 6-4 in Saturday’s US Open final to add to the Australian Open crown she won in January.
Angelique Kerber and Karolina Pliskova finished the final frame tied on the second serves.
Serena Williams made it to the first three grand slam finals of the season, winning a seventh Wimbledon title before losing in the semi-finals here.
Having won at NY, the left-hander believes she will be challenged hard by her opponents in the future.
However, a shock victory over twelfth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round would set the tone for one of the most surprising runs in recent Grand Slam history.
Pliskova may be happy to see Kerber replace Serena atop the rankings, but not everybody thinks we’ve seen the last of Serena winning major titles. “These are all very positive signs, and despite leaving NY in the quarterfinals, Halep should be very pleased with the progress she’s made over the summer”.
While she starts embarking on what is hoped to be a long stint at the top of the WTA rankings, the race to finish the year on top will go down to the wire in the final two months of the season.
Clearly this bit of self-motivation worked for Kerber when one of those very critical moments presented itself during the final set. “She deserved to win today”.
She was four for five on break-point opportunities, overall.
And at age 28, she has plenty of time to keep filling up her rapidly expanding trophy case.
Pliskova beat Kerber in the final at Cincinnati almost three weeks ago for a breakthrough title for the 24-year-old Czech, and she’s been riding that momentum ever since. “I’m not 18, so I was always trying to improving my game”. But it’s going to get tougher.
“I’m really surprised, actually, that I really try to stay positive… that I’m always fighting. When I won the point, I knew, ‘OK, I have the feeling'”. “That’s why I’m talking a lot about that”.
The 10th-seeded Pliskova, who eliminated both Williams sisters in the tournament, is bidding for her first Grand Slam title.
And he did it Sunday against Djokovic, whose French Open title in June completed a career Grand Slam and made him only the third man – and first in almost a half-century – to win four consecutive major tournaments. I’m getting used to everything that’s happened around me right now. “At 28, I am now at the peak of my career and can enjoy it”.
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“This is when everything comes together one day”.
