Germany's Angelique Kerber will replace Serena Williams to become the new women's singles World No. 1. The 28-year-old would have to thank Karolina Pliskova for doing the needful and knocking out Serena in the semi-finals of the US Open 2016. It created the perfect opportunity for the Australian Open 2016 champion to achieve the numero uno position in the WTA rankings.
For now, however, Kerber needs to overcome Pliskova in the US Open 2016 women's singles final on Saturday. Pliskova, 24, is ranked No. 11 in the world.
Advantage for Kerber? Well, the lanky Czech Republic player has shocked Serena, the most dominant women's tennis player in the world, in the previous round and that says it all.
Experience-wise, Kerber has an edge, but on-court, it will be the battle of contrasting styles. Pliskova has a masterful serve and the number of aces she manages to pick up gives her a great advantage over her opponent. Her return is also praiseworthy. Kerber, on the other hand, does all the talking through her impressive stamina and that never-say-die spirit.
Against Caroline Wozniacki in her semi-final game, Kerber won 23 of her rallies and lost just eight, besides winning 88 per cent of her returns, according to the US Open website. Pliskova, meanwhile, won an incredible 84 per cent of her first-serve points, served up seven aces and committed not a single double fault, en route to her straight sets victory over Serena.
"Everyone was talking to me that you can win a grand slam. I'd say, I'm not ready for it yet, because obviously I didn't get that far in a tournament yet," Pliskova said after her semi-final win.
"But I knew it's somewhere in me that I can really play good tennis on those bigger stages. So, I believed and it just happened. I think I have a good chance on Saturday," she added.
US Open 2016 women's singles final: Karolina Pliskova vs Angelique Kerber is expected to start at 4 p.m. local time [1:30 a.m. IST [Sunday], 9 p.m. BST] on Sept. 10 from the Arthur Ashe Stadim.
Where to watch live
India: TV: Ten 1 and Ten 1 HD. Live Streaming: Tensports live.
US: TV: ESPN. Live Streaming: Watch ESPN.
Europe: TV: EuroSport. Live Streaming: EuroSport Player.
Canada: TV: TSN. Live Streaming: TSN TV.
Australia: TV: Fox Sports. Live Streaming: Foxtel.
Middle East: TV: Bein Sports Arabia. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
International: Live Streaming: US Open website.
