Kerber said the enormity of winning her second slam of the year and attaining world number one would probably not sink in until a quiet moment after she boarded her flight home. Actually just incredible. When I was a kid I was always dreaming to be the number one player in the world and win grand slams and today is the day I won my second grand slam here, especially in NY.
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“It’s just incredible, it’s a great day”, said Kerber.
– Going into the US Open semifinals Friday, Kerber led the WTA for most main draw match wins this season, at 52-14.
After a punishing three-set quarter-final against Simona Halep on the same court 24 hours early, Williams appeared sluggish against Pliskova.
Serena will now have to wait until January 2017 to pursue her 23rd Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
For the second straight year Serena Williams saw her bid for a seventh U.S. Open title halted in the semi-finals with a 6-2 7-6 (5) loss to Karolina Pliskova on Thursday that also ended her long reign as world number one.
Kerber took advantage of some early nerves to break Pliskova in the first game of the first set.
She’s the one who should hoist the trophy, but she also understands fully that’s not always the way things play out, either.
Kerber needed to get out of trouble on serve early in the second, but there was no denying Pliskova in the seventh game as a lob victor gave her a break advantage.
The 24-year-old Czech lost 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to the new world number one but she came tantalisingly close to a maiden Grand Slam win when she led 3-1 with a break in the decider.
Pliskova will meet Kerber in Saturday’s final at Flushing Meadows after the German overcame Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 6-3 in the other semi-final.
Kerber had won the opening set 6-3.
She said, “Karolina played great today”. That’s essentially how she swiped Serena’s No. 1 ranking.
“I’m really excited to be there and really excited to be in a grand slam final for first time in my life”. Instead, it is Kerber stirring the Graf legacy.
Now, she is in Saturday’s final.
It is only the fourth time she has ever competed at the US Open and the second time that she had made it past the first round of the tournament.
Kerber was beaten by Pliskova when they last met, in the Cincinnati final as the German was then denied the top ranking. It didn’t. Pliskova in three.
“I think I will go out there trying to get my next chance against her and take the revenge of course”. Kerber won the Australian Open title and was the runner-up at Wimbledon.
So while Kerber hunts her second Grand Slam title, she faces a hungry challenger who took advantage of the tournament’s top seed.
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If Pliskova is on point with her power game then Kerber must be ready.
