Kerber Solves Vinci Puzzle To Reach U.S. Open Semifinals

German Wins Final Nine Games to Storm Into Final Four

September 6, 2016 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Angelique_Kerber (6)
Photo Credit: Keith Kowalsky

Angelique Kerber delivered another masterful performance in a cloud-covered Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, bolting past 2015 finalist and seventh-seed Italian Roberta Vinci 7-5, 6-0 to reach the U.S. Open semifinals.

The first set saw a ton of breaks of serve and Vinci got it started by breaking Kerber in the opening game. But the second-seeded German responded right back with a break, and the two would change breaks again for even things at three-games all.

Using her slice to keep the ball short to Kerber, Vinci was able to cause a lot of uncanny errors from Kerber through the first few games of the opening set, and it helped her earn another break for a 5-4 lead.

“I think the key of the match was the first set,” said Kerber. “It was really close and tough. It’s always difficult to play against Roberta.”

Facing the first real adversity of her tournament, Kerber went back on the defensive as Vinci served for the set at 5-4. The German dug in to break back right away to stay in the set and consolidated it with a hold to take the 6-5 advantage.

In the ensuing game, a foot fault from Vinci helped give Kerber another break and the first set victory.

Having figured out the tricky game of Vinci, Kerber cut down on her errors and played nearly flawless tennis in the second set. She broke Vinci in the Italian’s opening service game of the second set and never looked  back, hitting 14 winners to just three unforced errors in the final set to roll into the final four.

“I think it was important to have patience against her and wait for your shots, because she is a good mover and she brings a lot of balls back with her slice,” Kerber said of Vinci’s style of play. “I was trying to move good, and keep my eye on the ball and go for it, because the spin is a little bit different than when you play against others.”

Kerber moves into a semifinal matchup with the winner of tonight’s quarterfinal between Caroline Wozniacki and Anastasija Sevastova.

“She’s a great player. She missed maybe two or three balls and she runs a lot, she’s got confidence,” Vinci said of Kerber. “I lost the first set and then the second set she started to play better, and I was a little bit down.

But anyway, of course I’m so sad about today. In general I played a great tournament. Now I will just go home and take some days off.”

In the women’s doubles quarterfinals, American Bethanie Mattek-Sands paired with Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic to beat the all-American tandem of Asia Muhammad and Taylor Townsend 6-1, 6-2.

The 12th seeded pair of Mattek-Sands and Safarova move into a semifinal matchup with the fifth-seeded Russian duo Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, who downed the Slovenian pair of Andreja Klepac and Katarina Srebotnik 6-4, 6-2 in their quarterfinal on Tuesday. 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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