THE number of people who truly believed that Angelique Kerber could beat Serena Williams in the Australian Open final last night could probably have been counted on the fingers of one hand. But the only thing that mattered was that one of them was Kerber herself.
The 28-year-old German produced a seismic shock when she beat the world No 1 Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to win her first Grand Slam title, a stunning result after one of the most competitive, exciting women’s finals in recent memory, here or anywhere else.
Williams had been trying to equal another German, Steffi Graf, by winning her 22nd Grand Slam title but Kerber, retrieving everything, racing around the court like a whippet and clipping perfect passing shots, stood her ground and deserved her victory.
“I won it, the first Grand Slam,” Kerber said last night, after a quick champagne toast in the press room. “It sounds crazy, but I can say I’m a Grand Slam champion now.
“In the first round [to Japan’s Misaki Doi], I was match point down and was one leg on the plane to Germany. I think I had a second chance and to win it is my dream come true on this night. My whole life I was working really hard and now I’m here I can say I am a Grand Slam champion, it sounds so crazy.”
From the first point, it was clear that unlike many opponents who have tried to take on Williams in recent times, Kerber believed she had a fighter’s chance.
With the Williams feet barely moving at times, an early break settled any nerves and though she was broken back for 3-3, she broke again in the next game and held the advantage to take the set.
As she has done so many times in the past, Williams fought back and when she levelled the match, it looked as if she would race through the third.
After trading breaks at the start of the deciding set, Kerber broke Williams again in a marathon sixth game, thanks in part to two brilliant drop shots, and held easily to lead 4-2.
Williams fought back again to get back on serve at 5-4 but Kerber kept fighting and clinched victory with another break when the American put a forehand volley over the baseline.
Somewhere in Las Vegas, Graf would doubtless have been cheering her on and Germany’s greatest ever player, who had been in contact with Kerber throughout the event, wishing her well, sent her a congratulatory text soon after.
Graf remains in second place in the all-time list of female Grand Slam winners, one ahead of Williams and Kerber is the first German to win a Grand Slam since Graf won her last, at the French Open in 1999.
“Steffi is a champion,” Kerber said. “She won 22 Grand Slams. That’s my first one. I’m really happy about my game I played. about the two weeks. The hard work pays off.
“I think my phone is exploding right now. I don’t know how many messages I get. It’s like amazing.
“I think it’s so good also for German tennis. After Steffi, now somebody won a grand slam. It’s like just amazing.”
Williams was enormously gracious in defeat, even more impressive as she must have believed she was set to win a seventh Australian Open title and equal Graf.
Williams looked nervous and tense at times, her feet occasionally looking like their were stuck to the court and in the end, too many unforced errors cost her dear, while Kerber consistently made her play one extra ball and crucially, believed she could win.
“I think I did the best I could today,” Williams said. “Would I give myself an A? No. But today this is what I could produce.
“Maybe tomorrow I could produce something different. But that’s all I can go off.
“She played so well today. She had an attitude that I think a lot of people can learn from. To always stay positive and to never give up.”
The result also means Kerber will climb to No 2 in the world rankings when they are released tomorrow.
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