Samantha Stosur labours past Angelique Kerber to reach title match – US Open 2011
Ninth seeded Australian Samantha Stosur required three sets to overpower a surprise semi-finalist, German Angelique Kerber at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Park, of Queens, New York City,
United States. She registered a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 victory over the German to advance into the title round on Saturday.
The in-form Aussie put up a solid display of tennis to the German’s dream streak in one hour and forty-six minutes at the Grandstand. Kerber was bidding for her first ever title with his awesome performance at this final Grand
Slam. She stunned twelfth seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska and twenty-six seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta on her route to semis.
The seeded Aussie unleashed her skills at the very beginning and reeled off first three games in a row to go 3-0 up. She maintained her composure in the remaining match as she bagged in remaining serves to clinch the opener with
a 6-3 win in just above half an hour.
Kerber on the other hand founded her rhythm in the second set. After Stosur held her opening serve in the second game, the German went on savage mode to wipe out next three games in a row. She then held her remaining serves to
pocket the equaliser with a 6-2 score line in thirty-seven minutes.
Stosur came up with a befitting reply in the final set. She unleashed flurry of groundstrokes to reel off first five games in a row before gifting away her serve. The Aussie then held her serve in the last game to bag the decider
with a 6-2 victory in thirty-eight minutes.
"This was my third Grand Slam semi-final. It was a good thing to have in my back pocket, playing someone who's never been there before," the blooming Stosur said after the match. "The second set did go by pretty fast for me. I
went off court and tried to settle down, and just think about my gameplan from the first set and do it again. I knew I had to try make some subtle changes and get a good start in the third."
Next up for the Aussie is a former world number one and three times champion, America’s Serena Williams. Williams was out for almost a year but made a comeback near Wimbledon. She hasn’t had much progress on the grass but seemed
to find her rhythm on the hard surface and upset reigning world number one Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets to reach this spot. Stosur needs to stay cool and improve her shots on net approaches to overwhelm threat faced by the Williams.
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