Angelique Kerber solidified her status as the new world number one on another hot and humid afternoon in the Big Apple, edging past 10th seed Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to capture her second Grand Slam title, after winning her first at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Keen Kerber Off to a Flyer, Breaks Twice En Route to Drawing First Blood
Having lost to Pliskova in straight sets just two weeks ago in the final of the Western & Southern Open, Kerber was eager to get off to a better start, and did just that, as Pliskova struggled to find her footing. Understandably overcome by the magnitude of the occasion, the 10th seed nervously opened the match with a double fault before completely missing an easy forehand volley later in the game to give Kerber a pair of break points right off the bat. Though she was able to save the first of them with a perfectly placed serve out wide, the Czech wasn’t as lucky the second time around. Having broken a string midway through the point, Pliskova had no choice but to hit a slice, which inevitably sailed long to hand Kerber the first break of the contest.
Despite facing a break point herself in the following game, Kerber came out relatively unscathed, fighting off the early scare to consolidate for a 2-0 lead. Surprisingly, what nerves Pliskova seemed to struggle with early on seemed to dissipate in the third game as the Czech began to look more clinical on serve, getting on the board with a quick love hold.
A similar script would follow for the majority of the opening set, with Pliskova looking rather clinical on serve, while Kerber was involved in a tussle in each and every one of her service games, but managed to successfully come out relatively unscathed time and again. Showcasing her world-class defensive skills, the newly-crowned world number one was able to absorb everything the Czech threw at her, including chasing down a perfectly placed drop shot that left Pliskova stranded in the middle of the court.
After fighting off all three break points she faced throughout the opener, it was now Kerber’s turn to make a move from the receiving end, and it couldn’t possibly have come at a better, more perfect time. Leading 5-3, Kerber bided her time and after a rare Pliskova double fault gifted her the first set point of the contest, the German proved she needed no second invitation, tracking down an easy drop shot before putting away an easy forehand down the line back behind the Czech to draw first blood and secure the opener, 6-3, in 40 minutes.
Pliskova Powers Through Second Set to Force a Decider
The second set would play out like the majority of the first, with both women fighting for their right to hold serve. Incredibly, the server only faced two break points the entire set, with Pliskova accounting for both of them and never facing any on her own serve.
After seeing three break points come and go in the opening set, as well as one early in the second, Pliskova was given a fifth look at a break of serve in the seventh game with the score tied at 3-all and this time, she made no mistake. Attacking a weak Kerber second serve and following her return into the net, the 10th seed used a delightful drop-volley-lob combination to catch the second seed off guard and consequently finally claim the elusive break, one that would ultimately prove decisive.
From there, the remainder of the set would go with serve, eventually resulting in Pliskova forcing a decider as Kerber nervously misfired her trademark forehand on set point, thus sealing the set 6-4 for the Czech number one, with a one-set shootout required to decide the winner of the 136th edition of the U.S. Open.
Kerber Recovers from Early Deficit in Final Set to Outlast Pliskova
With the momentum now firmly on her side, it was only a matter of time until Pliskova claimed the first break of the decider in the third game; her relentless hitting beginning to find chinks in Kerber’s armour, as the German began to make routine unforced errors she would have never made in the opener. A break to the good, the Czech wasted no time in consolidating the break as she went within three games of the championships, with the finish line so agonizingly close, yet so far.
However, it was from this point forward that Kerber was a completely different player. No longer overcome by the magnitude of the occasion, the German played some inspired tennis to muster her first love hold of the match seemingly out of nowhere, before breaking the Pliskova serve for the first time in seven service games to get back on level terms, tied at three-games-apiece.
But once she got there, the second seed strangely looked out of sorts once again, falling down 0-30 in the following game and in serious danger of giving back a possibly decisive break of serve. Yet incredibly, Kerber’s will and desire to win burned stronger than ever in the face of adversity as she refused to back down, reeling off four points in a row to secure a vital hold and edge her nose back in front at 4-3.
Despite looking winded by the gruelling conditions, Pliskova responded with a hold of her own, though the Czech was noticeably struggling to produce the relentless, high-quality tennis that initially earned her a break in the decider. With the finish line in sight and her opponent looking increasingly weary, Kerber put her foot on the accelerator; a love hold putting her within one game of her first U.S. Open crown.
Having enjoyed great success at the net all match, the Czech was looking to finish as many points off at the net as possible in order to avoid engaging in long rallies from the back of the court, which would admittedly benefit Kerber in more ways this one. But while serving for the match, Pliskova simply couldn’t find the same success as Kerber took full advantage, setting up three championship points for herself in the tenth game. In the end, it was the newly-crowned world number one’s experience and relentless fighting spirit that proved the difference as a wild forehand miss from Pliskova secured Kerber a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory.
As she collapsed to the ground in celebration, Kerber had done the unthinkable. Not only did she become a two-time major champion, but she is also the first woman to win both the Australian and U.S. Open in the same year since Martina Hingis did it back in 1997.
“It’s just amazing. I won my second Grand Slam of the year and it’s the best year of my career,” Kerber said shortly after the match.
“For me, everything started here in 2011. And now here, five years later I’m standing here with the trophy. All the dreams came true this year,” she added, referring to the dream run to the semifinals when she was ranked number 92 in the world that proved to be a turning point in the German’s career.
With 1860 points now separating Kerber and Serena Williams, the new world number one and two, respectively, the race for year-end number one could be an intense one if Williams chooses to play in Asia, as she has no points to defend from last year, while Kerber has 1215 to defend for the rest of the season.