“We’ll take it match by match, prepare for each match the best we can, and I really think you guys are going to do well.’ He’s been proved right and we’ll try to do one more match”.
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There won’t be quite the buzz at Arthur Ashe Stadium without Serena, but consider this reading of the final: These could be the players, along with Garbine Muguruza, who pose the greatest threat to Serena’s ability to win Grand Slams over the next several years.
Early in what would become a tight test of a U.S. Open final, Angelique Kerber sprinted forward to somehow reach a drop shot and scoop a down-the-line victor that landed in a corner of the court.
That comes against Pliskova, who never had been past the third round in 17 previous major appearances but became only the fourth woman to beat both Williams sisters during one Grand Slam tournament. And Williams remains even with Chris Evert with six U.S. Open trophies. Pliskova was able to exploit Williams’ nerves and her lack of mobility caused by a knee injury. “I know how well she is playing”. Moments later, the German trailed 3-1. As Venus and Serena Williams saw first-hand, the 6-foot-1 Pliskova goes right at opponents with big, flat groundstrokes and tough-to-handle serves.
Karolina Pliskova has taken the second set of the U.S. Open final against Angelique Kerber, sending the match to a third. Pliskova served out the second set – the only one dropped by Kerber all tournament – and spiked a ball. Suddenly up 4-3 in the set, Pliskova turned to her coach up in the stands and yelled, pumping her fists. She could end it as a two-time major champ. “Yeah, it is just incredible, actually”, Kerber spoke of her climb in WTA rankings, as quoted by US Open’s official website. Last year, Kerber played until the end of the season but Williams did not. Pliskova, 24, is already projected to be ranked No. 6 among WTA players, and that would rise to No. 5 with a win in the final.
There were plenty of lengthy exchanges in that first set, and Kerber tended to get the better of them, winning 9 of 14 points that lasted at least 10 strokes.
If Kerber has any letdown Saturday, the rifle-serving, 6-foot-1, tattooed Pliskova will be there to take the Open.
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.
A seventh title at Flushing Meadows, which would have been an Open-era record, will have to wait.
However it is hard to argue against Pliskova being the more impressive of the two, given her win over Serena Williams.
The 28-year-old has blamed fatigue for that defeat and says she is ready to try and gain revenge on the Czech.
The tournament will also be available via Eurosport Player, which will provide comprehensive coverage of the US Open with LIVE feeds from all the match courts, allowing viewers to select their own matches – all available on multiple devices for a monthly subscription fee.
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The No. 4-seeded Murray and Soares, who won the Australian Open in January, are the first winners of multiple major men’s doubles titles in a season since Bob and Mike Bryan won three in 2013.
