Notes & Netcords: September 12, 2016
THE WINNERS
Angelique Kerber capped off her rise to WTA World No.1 by winning her first US Open title, edging past No.10 seed Karolina Pliskova, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
“It’s just amazing. I won my second Grand Slam of the year and it’s the best year of my career,” Kerber said after the match.
“For me everything started here in 2011,” she added, referring to when she made the semifinals ranked No.92. “And now here, five years later I’m standing here with the trophy. All the dreams came true this year.”
Read the match recap | WTA Insider Live Blog: Game-by-game analysis
Former Australian Open and French Open champions Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova added the third part of the Career Grand Slam by coming back from the brink against top seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic, edging past the Frenchwomen, 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.
“It was a little bit of a slow start, but I’ve gotta give credit to our opponents,” Mattek-Sands said after the match. “They came out playing big, serving big, making all their rolls, ripping returns.
“I think one of the things that we do really well is we don’t get too down no matter what the score is. We’re really positive.”
Read the match recap
Less than a fortnight after meeting one another, Laura Siegemund and Mate Pavic hoisted aloft their first Grand Slam trophy on tennis’ grandest stage after winning the US Open mixed doubles title.
In front of an unashamedly partisan Arthur Ashe crowd, Siegemund and Pavic spoiled the party by upsetting No.7 seeds CoCo Vandeweghe and Rajeev Ram, 6-4, 6-4.
“I’m just stunned a little bit at this point. I’m very happy. I think we played a great match today, Siegemund said. “We did play a great tournament. All the other matches were, yeah, very solid also in the important situations, although we never played together.
Read the match recap
RANKING MOVERS:
Notable singles ranking movers for the week of September 12, 2016.
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN), +45 (No.74 to 29): Two-time US Open finalist Wozniacki owns this week’s biggest ranking jump. Her run to the US Open semifinal reversed a downward trend after a season derailed by injuries.
Ana Konjuh (CRO), +40 (No.92 to 52): 18-year-old Konjuh avenged her Wimbledon loss to Agnieszka Radwanska by upsetting the No.4 seed on her way to the US Open quarterfinals, earning herself a huge ranking move in the process.
Anastasija Sevastova (LAT), +16 (48 to 32): Another US Open Cinderella story, Sevastova moves up 16 spots to No.32 after reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Karolina Pliskova (CZE), +5 (No.11 to 6): Pliskova rose to a career-high of No.6 after a run to the US Open final. It was her best result in a Grand Slam, never passing the third round in any previous appearance.
Angelique Kerber (GER), +1 (No.2 to 1): By virtue of winning the US Open and Serena Williams falling in the semifinals, Angelique Kerber rose to World No.1. She becomes the first German to reach the top spot since Steffi Graf and, at 28-years-old, she’s the oldest player to become No.1.
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
Coupe Banque Nationale
Quebec City, Canada
International | $226,750 | Carpet
Monday, September 12 – Sunday, September 18
Japan Women’s Open Tennis
Tokyo, Japan
International | $226,750 | Hard
Monday, September 12 – Sunday, September 18
Toray Pan Pacific Open
Tokyo, Japan
Premier | $885,500 | Hard
Monday, September 19 – Sunday, September 25
Guangzhou International Women’s Open
Guangzhou, China
International | $226,750 | Hard
Monday, September 19 – Saturday, September 24
Korea Open Tennis
International | $226,750 | Hard
Monday, September 19 – Sunday, September 25
TOP 20 PLAYER SCHEDULES
1. Angelique Kerber
2. Serena Williams
3. Garbiñe Muguruza – Tokyo (PPO)
4. Agnieszka Radwanska – Tokyo (PPO)
5. Simona Halep – Tokyo (PPO)
6. Karolina Pliskova – Tokyo (PPO)
7. Venus Williams
8. Carla Suárez Navarro – Tokyo (PPO)
9. Madison Keys
10. Svetlana Kuznetsova
11. Victoria Azarenka
12. Dominika Cibulkova – Tokyo (PPO)
13. Johanna Konta
14. Timea Bacsinszky
15. Roberta Vinci – Guangzhou
16. Petra Kvitova
17. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – Tokyo (PPO)
18. Samantha Stosur – Tokyo (PPO)
19. Elena Vesnina
20. Elina Svitolina – Tokyo (PPO)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Best wishes to those celebrating birthdays this week:
Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) – September 12, 1987
Elina Svitolina (UKR) – September 12, 1994
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) – September 13, 1987
Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) – September 13, 1994