Kerber Tops Karolina For U.S. Open Title

Entering the U.S. Open final on Saturday, Angelique Kerber had already wrested the No. 1 ranking in the world from Serena Williams.

Now the German needed to beat the woman who stunned Serena in the semifinals to capture her first U.S. Open crown.

It turned into quite the historic weekend for Kerber, who won her second Grand Slam title of 2016 by fending off No. 10 seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, under extremely hot and humid conditions in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Kerber, the No. 2 seed, won her WTA Tour-leading 54th match of 2016. She also picked up a winner’s check worth $3.5 million.

After Pliskova sailed a forehand wide on match point, Kerber fell to her back on the stadium court and then climbed into the stands to hug her coach, Torben Beltz. After returning to the court and sitting down, Kerber was reduced to tears of joy.

“It’s just amazing,” Kerber said in an on-court interview. “I won my second Grand Slam in one year, that’s the best year in my career.

 

The 28-year-old left-hander will officially become No. 1 in the world on Monday, the first German since Steffi Graf to accomplish that feat. Now she has two major titles to go with it. Kerber beat Serena to win the Australian Open in January and also reached the Wimbledon final, where she lost to Williams.

Kerber Tops Karolina For U.S. Open Title

French Open Update : Serena Eases Through To Quarter - Finals

Champion Serena Williams swatted aside Elina Svitolina 6-1 6-1 on Wednesday to reach the last eight of the French Open, while Kiki Bertens made her first grand slam quarter-final with a straight-sets defeat of 15th seed Madison Keys.

 

World No.1 Williams rarely sparkled on a damp, dank centre court at Roland Garros, but always wielded enough firepower to see off the Ukrainian 18th seed in a match that was delayed by two days due to the fickle Parisian weather.

 

The American will play Yulia Putintzeva of Kazakhstan for a spot in the semis. Putintseva upset Spanish 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro 7-5 7-5.

 

Dutchwoman Bertens outpaced American Keys 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.

 

World No.58 Bertens often had the extra shot against Keys, setting up a meeting with Swiss eighth seed Timea Bacsinszky for a place in the last four.

 

MORE TO FOLLOW ON WEDNESDAY ACTION

French Open Update : Serena Eases Through To Quarter - Finals

Serena Williams Thrown Out of The Miami Open

Defending champion Serena Williams suffered a shock defeat in the fourth round of the Miami Open.

 

The World Number had been out of the tournament for less than 20 minutes when she climbed into her white Mini Cooper with the checkerboard top and pulled away from the players’ parking lot, fastening her seat belt as she drove.

 

Williams’ 20-match winning streak at Key Biscayne ended Monday with a 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-2 loss to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round of the upset-filled Miami Open.

 

Williams was bidding for her ninth title in the event and her fourth in a row. But after a grueling first set that lasted nearly an hour, the 21-time Grand Slam champion faded on a sweltering afternoon.

 

It was her earliest exit at Key Biscayne since 2000, when she lost in the fourth round to Jennifer Capriati.

 

“I did the best I could,” she said during a post-match news conference that lasted less than three minutes before she cut it off. “I can’t win every match. These players come out and play me like they’ve never played before in their lives. I have to be 300 percent every day.”

 

Williams, 34, will retain the No. 1 ranking, but she hasn’t won a tournament since earning her 69th title at Cincinnati in August.

Serena Williams Thrown Out of The Miami Open