Kerber closes in on top ranking

Angelique Kerber of Germany reached the Western & Southern Open final, leaving her one victory away from unseating Serena Williams at No. 1.

Kerber took control after a 33-minute rain delay in the first set to beat Simona Halep 6-3, 6-4 at Cincinnati, putting her within reach of the world’s top ranking.

A win Sunday over 15th-seeded Karolina Pliskova would move Kerber to the top spot in next week’s rankings.