Angelique Kerber beats Serena Williams in the quarters - Western and Southern Open 2012
World number seven, Angelique Kerber, finally ended the supreme run of the fourth ranked American, Serena Williams, in the quarter-finals of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, Ohio. She dumped her in straight sets 6-4,
6-4 to qualify for the semi-final showdown that will be played on the eve of Saturday.
Kerber commented afterwards, "Today was one of the biggest wins of my career, and it's also amazing to be in the semis here. I wasn't thinking about my opponent on the other side. My goal was just to give my best and hit the ball,
move very well and get the balls back from her because they are so fast. I just tried to do my game plan and it worked. Because Serena won Wimbledon, she won the Olympics, she won everything. She was the favourite, not me. It also feels better to tell yourself
you have nothing to lose than you need to win.”
Williams looked sluggish right from the word go. She dropped the opening serve game without winning a single rally. It was a terrible and shocking start for someone who was on a 19-match unbeaten run. The German took hold of the
proceedings and sustained her lead until the end of the set.
Kerber was tested on her serves regularly but she did extremely well to deprive her opponent from winning a breakpoint back and equalizing the scores. It was a commanding display from the German who saved a couple of breakpoints
in the final game of the opening set to win the first battle.
The second set started off with a serve hold for both players. However, the scenario changed abruptly as the fifth seed German won the first breakthrough of the second set in the third game. She led the scores 2-1 at that stage
and consolidated her position with a tight serve hold.
Williams was never on roll and find it hard to break serve back. She had a couple of opportunities in the 10th game of the second set but squandered them and lost the encounter.
Petra Kvitova takes on Angelique Kerber in the semi-final.
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