If you need any proof that the Czech has momentum on her side, simply look back at her first set against Serena Williams on Thursday.
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Pliskova will now face either Kerber or Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki in her first grand slam final on Saturday.
Last year, Vinci ended Williams’ hopes of becoming only the fourth woman in history to complete a pure calendar year Grand Slam and this time she would have broken Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 Slam singles titles by winning the tournament.
“I don’t remember having seen her move so slowly ever”, Mouratoglou said. But that was always going to be hard in a year in which she has played only seven tournaments. “Steffi’s a great player and a great person, and I think she is proud of me, to be the next one after her”, Kerber said, as quoted by the BBC. So I think I wasn’t at 100 percent, but I also think she played well.
She will meet either Kerber or Caroline Wozniacki in the final. “I was trying to not think too much the whole last few weeks about this, and now I reach it”.
“It was not so easy to go then on court [after Serena’s loss], because I knew it actually before that if Serena lost, of course, that I will be the No. 1, ” Kerber said. “If I was exhausted I should definitely get into a new career”, Serena was quoted as saying by wtatennis.com following the match. “So many simple, simple shots that I easily could have made”. Now she has won two major titles, defeating Serena Williams to win the Australian Open in January and then winning in NY by knocking out Pliskova. Before the match I felt a little bit like pressure, nervous.
“My mind was elsewhere, you are thinking of other things”.
Kerber is certainly the more experienced when it comes to playing in big matches and that may prove to be the difference given Pliskova has never gone this deep in a grand slam before. I know she has a big serve.
Kerber beat Williams in Melbourne before losing to her in the final at Wimbledon, but it is a new face in Pliskova she will be facing this weekend after the Czech’s stunning victory in NY. “Not now. I’m not ready for it yet”, Pliskova said.
Serena later disclosed that she had been playing with a serious knee injury that curtailed her movement on court. In the first set, Karolina gained the upper hand with a break for 2-1.
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“But I will just do anything to win the title here”.
