By Ricky Dimon
For a second consecutive year, Serena Williams has crashed out of the U.S. Open in the semifinals. On the heels of three straight titles in New York from 2012 through 2014, Serena was stunned by Roberto Vinci in the 2015 semis. This fortnight did not produce as big of a shocker as her loss to Vinci, but at the same time no one really saw a Thursday night setback against Karolina Pliskova coming. Pliskova, in outstanding form having captured the Cincinnati title last month, upset the top-ranked American 6-2, 7-6(5).
“Karolina played great today,” said Serena, who was also hampered by a knee issue. “I think if she had played any less then maybe I would have had a chance. So I think I wasn’t at 100 percent, but I also think she played well. She deserved to win.”
Now it will be a rematch of the Cincinnati final when Pliskova and Angelique Kerber battle for the title on Saturday night. Pliskova crushed Kerber 6-3, 6-1 in Cincy for the biggest title of her career, but it is the German who still leads the head-to-head series 4-3–including 3-2 on hard courts.
In addition to her breakthrough win over Serena, Pliskova punched her ticket to Saturday by beating Sofia Kenin, Montserrat Gonzalez, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Venus Williams (in a third-set tiebreaker), and Ana Konjuh. Pliskova’s 11-match winning streak dating back to the start of Cincinnati also includes victories over Svetlana Kuznetsova and Garbine Muguruza.
But, of course, it reached a whole new level with the Czech’s semifinal stunner of Serena.
“It doesn’t happen often that you’re playing [in a] semifinal against Serena on center court here in New York,” Pliskova assured. “It doesn’t happen often that you’re in the final of Grand Slams. I’m really excited to be there and really excited to be in a Grand Slam final for first time in my life…. It was always a dream to get a title, get to the semifinal, get to the final. So it’s a big result for me. I hope I [don’t] stop yet, that there is still one more step to go. I’ll do anything [to get] the title.”
It won’t be an easy task with Kerber on the other side of the net. The German has been the best player on the WTA Tour in 2016, with the Australian Open title, a runner-up showing at Wimbledon, and a silver medal at the Rio Olympics. For her efforts (and even without getting any Olympic points), she will be No. 1 in the world next week. Kerber already had that milestone secured when Serena fell to Pliskova, after which she put an exclamation point on the day by taking care of Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-3.
“It feels amazing,” the current world No. 2 said of her upcoming distinction as the game’s best. “It feels just great. I mean, the day came today and to be now the No. 1 in the world, that was always a dream for me. I was trying to not [think] too muchthe whole last few weeks about this, and now I [have reached] it. So it’s something really special for me, because I was dreaming for this No. 1.”
Topics: 10sballs.com, 2016 US Open, Angelique Kerber, Flushing Meadows, Karolina Pliskova, Ladies tennis, Serena Williams, Tennis News, US Open tennis, Wta