Kerber got the better off Karolina Pliskova in a tight three-set affair, score reading 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to win the final Grand Slam of the year.
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“I knew that I have the game to beat the best players if I was just patient and worked really hard”, said Kerber, who becomes only the second woman from Germany to win a US Open title in the tournament’s 136-year history after the five-times victor Steffi Graf. Usually, you don’t see a player improve so much in later in her career, but Kerber did, because she made a decision to take it to another level after last season.
It was a well-played match all the way through, with both players displaying power and coordination, but Kerber made no serious mistakes and won more second-serve points than the No. 10 seeded Czech, who is deemed one of the tennis world’s best servers. Kerber will inherit No1 ranking from Serena Williams on Monday.
Gaining in confidence, Pliskova grabbed her first break of the match for a 4-3 lead, lofting a lob over the German.
“And after years [where] Serena was there, I think it’s a nice change”.
“You have the pressure that she’s gonna ace you four times in a game, but you still have to be aggressive and hit winners, otherwise I can not be the one who is running with her”, said Pliskova.
That leaves Kerber, the oldest player to make her debut at No1, as the woman to beat. The German broke right back to keep the pressure on her opponent. I will try to take this challenge because it will be a little bit of a new situation for me.
Djokovic, playing in his 21st Grand Slam final and seventh in NY, was quickest out of the blocks. A silver medal in the singles category at the 2016 Rio Olympics asserted Kerber had announced her arrival on the big stage.
Angelique Kerber says she is ready to step up her game and shoulder the pressure of being the top-ranked tennis player in the world.
“Amazing to win a second Grand Slam in one year”, Kerber said.
Britain’s Jamie Murray aimed a playful taunt at younger brother Andy after victory in the men’s doubles final alongside partner Bruno Soares handed him his second grand slam title of the year. She skipped the US Open because she is pregnant. Kerber was on the verge of being swept out of the tournament in straight sets in the first round against 64th-ranked Misaki Doi.
Kerber won the first set 6-3, before losing the second 4-6.
“I was really trying to improving a lot of things”, Kerber said. She explained that her confidence came from knowing exactly what will happen after the final, win or lose, so she could just go out there and play.
But Kerber, the Australian Open champion in January and Wimbledon runner-up in July, proved too steady an obstacle-in the first set, the 28-year-old committed just three unforced errors.
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Djokovic, the champion in 2011 and last year, had been seeking a third Grand Slam of the year and 13th major of his career.
