He is now a fitness consultant to Serena Williams and has trained numerous other professional athletes and consulted a litany of professional sports franchises.
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RESULTS (Women’s Semifinals): First-time major semifinalist Karolina Pliskova upset six-time U.S. Open champion Serena Williams 6-2, 7-6 (5), ending Williams’ chance to win her 23rd Grand Slam singles title.
The 34-year-old American will be replaced as world No 1 on Monday by Germany’s Angelique Kerber, who at 28 will be the oldest player ever to top the rankings for the first time. In her 51 previous visits to the grand slams, the Italian had reached the semis once, at the 2013 US Open.
This is the second consecutive setback for Serena in two years, which also marks an end to her reign as the World Number 1. “Actually, I do believe it”, Pliskova said. She used that wingspan to her advantage to play a fabulous return game to break for 3-1.
“It is fantastic to be in the US Open final and to beat Serena because she is a champion”.
An ace out wide and a forehand victor in the corner gave Williams the hold she needed, although, Pliskova once again responded with a hold of her own to level the second set at 1-1.
The 10th seed won the coin toss and elected to receive as she was trying to get the early break on Williams’ serve, however, the American held in the opening game to love.
‘I have been having some serious left knee problems.Mentally [it affects you], because when you’re hampered you’re thinking of other things. I just wanted to win.
‘I just blame that on thinking about my leg and just not thinking about the shot’. But it was what it was. “I think if she had played any less then maybe I would have had a chance”, said Williams. She deserved to win today.
Even Serena’s coach admired the handiwork from the talented Czech.
“If someone is not ready and she doesn’t think she is ready, she should not go on the court”.
The 6-foot-1 Pliskova serves well, leading the tour in aces this season and averaging 109 miles per hour Thursday, and her angled offerings gave Williams fits.
Serena Williams has been sent packing from the US Open at the semifinal stage after losing to Czech player Karolina Pliskova in straight sets. “I didn’t play as well as I’ve been playing”.
Perhaps underlining her service problems, Williams slumped out of the competition on a double-fault, her sixth of the match. “And both of them, they are such a great champions”.
“I think she’s been on tour for numerous years and she’s had some good wins”.
The tantalizing laundry list of lifetime achievements Williams had within her reach – a record 23 Grand Slam titles and an unprecedented seventh US Open championship – will have to wait until next year.
The 28-year-old left-hander, who won the Australian Open in January and was Wimbledon runner-up in July, is the first German woman to reach the final in NY since Steffi Graf in 1996.
“I mean, there is not more than to beat both sisters in one tournament in NY”, she said.
“For the crowd, it’s probably not the best that I beat both of them in their country, but for me it’s really something special”. But tonight’s loss means she will not get to 23 majors this U.S. Open.
At least she has the consolation of knowing her surprise run to a fifth semi-final in the city where she keeps a second home will translate to a place back in the world top 30.
Pliskova broke Williams’ serve twice in the first set, winning it in only 26 minutes.
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She will turn away from the opponent after the point, walk back behind the baseline and “talk to her racquet”. But during this Open, the 24-year-old from Czech Republic did so by dispatching Venus Williams in the fourth round and now Serena Williams to move into the Open finals.
