Kerber outplays Serena to win Wimbledon

Angelique Kerber on Saturday played the perfect match to defeat Serena Williams for the 2018 Wimbledon trophy.

Her first title at the All England Club – and third Grand Slam title overall – came via a 6-3 6-3 win against the American legend.

Kerber’s 65-minute victory makes her the first German to win the coveted title since Steffi Graf 22 years ago.

“My first memories (of Wimbledon) was watching Steffi here, to winning all the matches. I think she won here seven times,” Kerber said.

“I think Wimbledon was always the Grand Slam I was dreaming for it. Is something special. I think it’s traditional. To winning here, it’s forever. Nobody can take the title away from me now.”

The moment @AngeliqueKerber won #Wimbledon for the first time ????#TakeOnHistory pic.twitter.com/GsySRMNXaq

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 14, 2018

Kerber stepped onto the court against a player who last year at the Australian Open eclipsed Graf’s tally of 22 Grand Slam singles titles. Williams, now a 23-time major winner, was just four tournaments into her comeback from maternity leave after giving birth to daughter Olympia in September 2017.

In an incredible feat, she dropped just one set en route to the title match this fortnight. But she was as flat-footed and error-prone on Saturday as Kerber was razor-sharp.

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“I didn’t know a couple of months ago where I was, where I would be, how I would do, how I would be able to come back. It was such a long way to see light at the end of the road,” a pragmatic Williams told the press.

“So I think these two weeks have really showed me that, okay, I can compete. I can come out and be a contender to win Grand Slams. I feel like I have a ways to go. This is literally just the beginning. It’s good to just continue that path and just continue to keep going for me.

“She played from first point to the last point really good. She played unbelievable today.”

@angie.kerber. #Wimbledon champion.

A post shared by Tennismash (@tennismash_com) on Jul 14, 2018 at 10:23am PDT

Kerber said she was nervous going into the match, but added that being 30 years of age coupled with having played Grand Slam finals previously helped her to feel more relaxed during such a big occasion.

She’d also enjoyed the confidence boost of having already beaten Williams in a Grand Slam final; she defeated Serena in the final at Australian Open 2016 en route to her first major triumph.

“I was trying to not thinking too much that I playing against Serena,” she admitted.

The German did everything right. Her counter-punching skills are already highly praised and during the final they came to the fore – she tracked down almost every ball, put them in uncomfortable, awkward places on the court and kept her unforced error count to a ludicrously low five.

But she also went for her shots, when opportunities presented. She equalled Serena in winners off the ground and served intelligently, something she said she’d worked hard on with coach Wim Fissette since they linked up in late 2017.

Williams helped her out, spraying 24 errors. Her footwork to and around the ball was awry. Her decision-making was slow and reactive. She managed a comparatively low four aces.

Angelique Kerber’s run to the 2018 #Wimbledon title:

d. Zvonareva 75 63
d. Liu 36 62 64
d. Osaka 62 64
d. Bencic 63 76
d. Kasatkina 63 75
d. Ostapenko 63 63
d. Serena 63 63

Kerber defeated 3 Top 20 players (up to 12 wins vs. Top 20 in 2018).

In 2017, Kerber had 1 Top 20 win.

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) July 14, 2018

She nevertheless fought tigerishly. Trailing 6-3 5-2 after less than an hour, Williams held serve and then went for broke in the next game. But errors again proved costly; controlling the second point of the game, she drew a lofted reply from the outstretched Angie and closed on the net – only to drive a swinging forehand volley well long.

She slumped to her knees. It wasn’t her day. Kerber played a forehand winner up the line a few points later for match point, and ensured it wasn’t Serena’s day with a serve that jammed the American and drew an error into net.

“I think that she not lost the match, I won the match,” Kerber said.

“At the end I was quite starting to being quite nervous. I knew that I have to take my first chance because you never know with her. She is fighting until the last one.

“I think it’s just amazing. I cannot describe this feeling because when I was a kid I was always dreaming for this moment. To win Wimbledon, it’s something really special in my career.”