Serena, Kerber to Meet in Wimbledon Final

July 12, 2018 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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Photo Credit: Sidney Beal III/NY Tennis Magazine

 

In a rematch of the 2016 final, and that year’s Australian Open final, Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber will square off for the Wimbledon championship on Saturday after each won their respective semifinals on Thursday.

“Believe me, I know she wants to go out there and win. So do I,” Serena said of Kerber. “I think it will be just like the last final, it will be a really good final. Hopefully it will be a good result.”

Kerber was up first on Thursday and took on Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, last year’s French Open champion and a first-time meeting at any level between the two. Kerber took full advantage of Ostapenko’s aggressiveness, benefitting from 36 unforced errors while only committing seven of her own.

The 11th seeded German controlled the match from the onset and needed one hour and seven minutes to win 6-3, 6-3 and book her spot in the final.

“I was expecting that she is playing like she played from the beginning: really hard, pushing me back,” said Kerber. “I was trying to stay focused and playing every single point because she started really well. Then I was just trying to find my rhythm and take my chances when I had it.

I’m really proud being back in the Wimbledon final especially last year where things weren’t like I was supposed expecting actually. Being here again, that was a goal when I start this year, you know, to playing good in the Grand Slams, and to reach the finals again. It’s a great feeling.”

In the second semifinal, Serena took on Kerber’s compatriot, 13th seed Julia Goerges. Serena used a stout return game to beat Goerges 6-2, 6-4, breaking four times in five chances and winning 48 percent of the points on Goerges’ serve to advance in one hour and 10 minutes.

“I thought she played really well,” said Serena. “I had to bring my A game. I’ve never seen her play this well, and I’ve seen her play a lot. I really like watching her play. I feel like all the hard work she’s been doing, being consistent for the past, you know, 14 months or more, it really showed today. I feel like she really brought it.

I was happy that I could play this way or else I wouldn’t have been able to win.”

Serena and Kerber haven’t played one another since that Wimbledon final two years ago, a straight-sets Serena win for her 23rd Grand Slam title; Serena leads the all-time head-to-head 6-2.

 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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