Serena Williams’ 186-week stay at the top of the rankings finally came to an end after she was sensationally beaten 6-2 7-6 (7-5) by 10th seed Pliskova at Flushing Meadows before Kerber got the better of Caroline Wozniacki on Thursday.
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Pliskova will become the fourth different female grand slam victor this year if she can stun Kerber and the 24-year-old said she is not finished yet after denying Williams a 23rd major title.
Angelique Kerber says she is ready for Saturday’s US Open final where she will be aiming to get revenge on Karolina Pliskova.
Serena Williams has failed in her attempt to win a seventh US Open title after she was defeated by Karolina Pliskova.
The world number 11 had never gone past the third round of a major tournament before but she simply outplayed Williams at her own game, with power, aggression and a blistering serve. I’m really happy to be there and even have the chance to play in the final here.
The 10th-seeded Czech player, who had never made it past the third round of a major before, makes her first Grand Slam final. Actually, I do believe it.
The American who becomes the latest US Open casualty following the early exits of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray has also lost her No 1 spot in the WTA ranking to Australian Open Champion, Angelique Kerber.
Kerber will be ranked No. 1 in the world after the Open, breaking Williams’ 3 ¹/₂-year stranglehold.
The German leads Pliskova 4-3 in their head to heads, but the Czech won their most recent meeting in the Cincinnati final last month. It doesn’t happen often that you’re in the final of grand slams. She relinquished a break advantage midway in the second but prevailed in a tense tiebreak, sealing the affair on Williams’ double fault long. “I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen her move so slow”.
Williams put up a valiant effort in the second set, but Pliskova continued to answer every time it looked like Williams was going to seize momentum.
It certainly wasn’t vintage Williams about 24 hours after she outlasted Simona Halep in a slugfest and she told reporters post match Thursday she was dealing with a left-knee injury. I know she has a big serve.
Pliskova, who has led the WTA Tour in aces the last two seasons, kept the 34-year-old American under pressure nearly from the start and had break chances on all but one of Williams’ service games in the first set and converting twice.
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If you handicap this match based off what both players have done in the their careers, especially this year, Kerber should win in a landslide.
