Angelique Kerber has revealed how a good-luck message from Steffi Graf inspired her to US Open glory. Kerber beat Karolina Pliskova 6-3 4-6 6-4 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday to edge a nail-biting final
Angelique Kerber
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New York: Angelique Kerber has revealed how a good-luck message from Steffi Graf inspired her to US Open glory. Kerber beat Karolina Pliskova 6-3 4-6 6-4 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday to edge a nail-biting final and seal her second Grand Slam title this year.
The success caps a superb 12 months for Kerber, who clinched her first major triumph at the Australian Open in January, reached the Wimbledon final this summer and will become World No 1 today.
She also becomes the first German US Open champion since Graf in 1996. Kerber and Graf have become friends in recent years and they spent some time practising together in Las Vegas at the end of last season.
The 28-year-old has returned the favour in New York as her victory preserves two of Graf's long-lasting records. If Serena Williams had been crowned champion, the American would have overtaken Graf's Open-era best 22 Grand Slam titles as well as her unbeaten 186 consecutive weeks at No 1. Instead, Williams and Graf remain tied
on both.
In touch with Graf
Kerber has kept in close touch with Graf and says she received a text from her before her latest success. "I used to watch a lot of her matches and I remember that all the matches were very fast. This is what I remember," Kerber said.
Steffi Graf
"I heard from her yesterday (Friday) or like two days ago. She was wishing me luck for the final. Right now, I don't know if she has messaged me because my phone is somewhere, so I don't know how many messages I have now.
"But she was always my idol and I told her that so many times. She's a great champion as well. For me, it's really important to go on my own way and to have her in Germany with all the things she did for tennis, it's just amazing."
What a year!
Kerber took home the winners' cheque for 3.5million US dollars and becomes the first woman, other than Williams, to win two Grand Slams in a year since Justine Henin in 2007. Her rivalry with the American may be just beginning.
Pliskova arrived in the final on the back of an 11-match winning streak and also having beaten Kerber in the final at Cincinnati. Kerber said she was pleased with how she handled the pressure.
"What's happened in the last two weeks, it's just incredible," Kerber said. "Also, how I was dealing with the pressure when I came here and everybody was asking me about the No. 1. This was what I was trying to improve with the pressure and also today, it's always tough to go in the final when I know the opponent beat me like two or three weeks ago." -PA Sport
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