Kerber spoils the Williams fairy-tale
Seven-time champion stunned by German
DUCHESSES Kate and Meghan, Tiger Woods, Lewis Hamilton — the great and the good flocked to Wimbledon to celebrate the ultimate story of sporting motherhood.
Unfortunately for them and Serena Williams they found an uncooperative gatecrasher in Angelique Kerber, who walked off with the champagne and left the whole party falling flat.
Not that she was anything less than a deserving 6-3, 6-3 winner over the 65-minute duration of a match delayed by two and a quarter hours.
Some may not have been happy with the women’s final being bumped back for the men, but paying ticket-holders were not among them, as this women’s final was ultimately a disappointment.
It has been a remarkable comeback by the 36-year-old American, but a fourth match in the second week was too much, especially against such a speedy and resolute opponent.
Kerber is the kind of player who can park the bus across the baseline, and her defences could not be breached by the superior firepower of Williams.
Asked how she would one day tell her daughter of the day that the Duchesses came to see her play at Wimbledon, Williams replied: ‘I think it was a happy story. I’ll probably change the ending.’
Kerber praised her as an inspirational figure, but ultimately the seven-time champion was not quite ready to win this tournament, even as the beneficiary of a generous draw.
Williams did not use the delayed start as any kind of excuse — pointing out that uncertain start times are normal in tennis — but framed the fortnight as part of a much longer-running story.
Losing on the day nonetheless hurt enough for her to refuse the offer of parading the runner’s-up trophy around Centre Court after the presentations.
At her age, and having only had three tournaments back prior to this after giving birth on September 1, she has little to reproach herself for.
‘I feel like I have a way to go,’ she said. ‘This is literally just the beginning, I’m already deciphering what I need to improve on, what I need to do, what I did wrong, why I did it wrong, how I can do better, that whole madness that goes on in my mind. I’m saying, “OK, I do improve with losses”.
‘I think these two weeks have really showed me that I can compete for the long run in a Grand Slam. I took a giant step at Wimbledon. But my journey has just begun. I just have to keep going.’
While this women’s tournament was all about her it would be entirely wrong to overlook left-handed Kerber, who became the first German singles champion since Steffi Graf in 1996.
She has rebounded from a dismal 2017 when she dropped out of the top twenty, and has done it under the guidance of Belgian coach Wim Fissette.
It was he who oversaw the run of Jo Konta to the semi-finals a year ago, before parting with her at the end of the season for reasons never properly explained. With Konta due to slip to world No50 when the new rankings are announced tomorrow it is left looking like a poor bit of business on the British No 1’s part.
Kerber, of Polish heritage but hailing from the Baltic port city of Kiel, might lack the heavy forehand of her illustrious predecessor Graf, who she grew up watching playing at Wimbledon on TV. She is, however, blessed with a similar level of athleticism. As Williams pointed out: ‘It was a very fast game out there today. It was a lot different to any other match I’ve played here.’
Many players are intimidated by the American, and that was different, too. Kerber broke immediately, but did not fold when the American fired back with three games.
Kerber makes opponents play one more ball than they are comfortable with, and the errors subsequently flowed from the other end.
Williams responded to the first set by upping the volume on her grunting at the start of the second and becoming aggressive. That did not work either, and Kerber soaked it all up. She broke decisively for 4-2 when her supreme movement let her to sprint cross-court and rifle a forehand into the corner.
‘I didn’t feel like she lost the match, I won it,’ said Kerber, who has the distinction of beating Williams in two Grand Slam finals, having done the same in Australia two years ago.
‘I was trying not to think too much that I was playing against Serena, staying on my side of the court. Staying little bit cool, being not too emotional.’
Kerber was not the player who everyone came to see, but no less worthy for that. She is also a reminder that, even when Williams gets a fully prepared tilt at the next few Grand Slams, it is far from guaranteed that she will win them.