Kerber shows why she’s the new No. 1
Beats Wozniacki to advance to U.S. Open final
NEW YOR K • Angelique Kerber could not have asked for a better start to her tenure atop the women’s tennis ladder.
Kerber, who will become the WTA’s No. 1 ranked player next week because of Serena Williams’ loss on Thursday, won 17 of the first 20 points and then dug in for a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Caroline Wozniacki to reach her first final at the U.S. Open.
Kerber, who won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January and reached the final of Wimbledon, will f ace Karolina Pliskova in the final.
“I was trying to not think too much the whole last few weeks about this, and now I reach it,” Kerber said of the No. 1 ranking. “So it’s something really special for me, because, yeah, I was dreaming for this No. 1.”
Her coach, Torben Beltz, was impressed by how his player managed the occasion. “A perfect day today,” he said. “First she got the No. 1 spot, which is perfect. I think it was tough for her to keep her focus and momentum on the court, but she did very good, and she started the match like a No. 1.”
Kerber is the 22nd woman to hold the No. 1 spot since the WTA rankings began in 1975. Her ascendancy ends a record- tying 186- week reign by Williams.
The 74 th- ranked Wozniacki held the No. 1 ranking for 67 weeks from 2010 to 2012. “She’s had a great year,” Wozniacki said of Kerber. “She gets a lot of balls back; she also knows how to change the pace. She gets good angles. And, yeah, she’s playing really well. You know, it’s not a lot of people who have been No. 1. It’s a huge thing.”
Known more for her backboard- like defence, Wozniacki often went for first strikes in rallies. The tactic did not win out; she ended with 26 unforced errors to Kerber’s 16.
Kerber, also known for her excellent counterpunching, has evolved into a more aggressive player over the course of this season, which has paid dividends.
“I was trying to be improving my game, being more aggressive, and not just playing from the defensive end,” Kerber said. “Yeah, when I won my first Grand Slam in Australia and we came back I had much more confidence. I had much more belief in my game, about my improvement. And then I was just trying to get used to this pressure, all the stuff, what’s happened after Australia.
“I don’t know if I was prepared for this, but I think I played an amazing year.”
One of the few low points in Kerber’s year came two weeks ago, when Pliskova thumped her, 6-3, 6-1, in the final at the Cincinnati tournament. Beltz said he would review footage of that match before the final.
Wozniacki, in contrast, would hope to never again watch the final point of Thursday’ s semi final, a 16- shot rally that included moonballs, drawing giggles from the crowd. Wozniacki seemed to be waiting for an out call on Kerber’s final shot and pulled up on her forehand, but a call never came. Wozniacki did not challenge the call.
Television broadcasts showed that Kerber’s shot had, in fact, l anded out, which would have brought the score to deuce. A group of former players, including Martina Navratilova, encountered Wozniacki in the bowels of Arthur Ashe Stadium and questioned her decision not to challenge, but also offered consolation.