Angelique Kerber on Saturday beat seven-time champion Serena Williams to win her first Wimbledon title. Kerber is the first German woman to win the title since Steffi Graf in 1996. The 30-year-old is the 11th seed and she beat Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion 6-3 6-3, adding this title to her 2016 Australian Open and US Open crowns. Williams has been a people’s favorite in spite of it being only her fourth tournament since having her daughter in September last year.
Kerber won after a netted service return by Williams. She said that her win was “a dream come true” and that she knew she had to play her best tennis against a champion like Serena, who is an inspiration for her and others. Williams said that she had been happy to simply make it to the Wimbledon final so soon into her comeback. She added that in as much as it was a disappointment, she wasn’t disappointed, besides, she’s just getting started.
Kerber’s Attacking Plan Gave Her the Win
Kerber is normally known for her defensive style on the court. This time around, she decided to switch things up a bit. She kept the point going ad exploited William’s lack of mobility around the court. Her technique worked perfectly in her favor, as Williams kept dashing to the net, and this ended in errors half of the 24 times that she came forward.
Kerber showed her intent early in the game. In the first game, she broke the Williams serve which normally is the backbone of her game. Williams was able to level the scores at 2-2. Kerber, however, brought the scores back to her advantage in the 7th game when Williams hit long and Kerber took the set when Williams sent a backhand into the net.
Kerber went on to use her techniques in the 2nd set, breaking in the 6th one. Williams missed a straightforward lob for 30-0 when Kerber was serving for the match. She then struck a forehand winner that brought up championship point. Thereafter, on the next point, Kerber sealed her victory when Williams returned a serve into the net.
Williams had beat the German in the 2016 Wimbledon final, and Kerber’s achievement on Saturday was a major one. Kerber collapsed onto the ground covering her eyes, overwhelmed with the enormity of her achievement that day. Williams came over to her side of the net and shared a warm embrace with her.
Williams’ Wimbledon Dream Shattered
Williams was hoping to be the fourth mom to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era. She, just like Kerber, dropped only one set on her way to the final. She had also only faced one player ranked in the top 50 before Saturday. In addition to her world ranking of 181 and special seeding of 25, Williams has also been a favorite for the title. She has an intimidating aura made up of titles, power, fitness, and mental strength. Although Kerber brought a tough game, Williams’ bid for a recorded equaling 24th Grand Slam title still stands, hopefully, to be attained in next month’s US Open.