By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, September 8, 2016
Serena Williams' streak of 186 straight weeks as world No. 1 is done. Karolina Pliskova stunned the top seed, 6-2, 7-6 (5), to reach the US Open final.
Photo credit: AP Photo
NEW YORK—A shaken Serena Williams shoved the air in disgust like a woman admonishing a dance partner for stepping on her toes.
Karolina Pliskova stomped through service games in the first set and high stepped through tension in the second stunning Williams, 6-2, 7-6 (5), to advance to the US Open final.
Pliskova: Venus Was Tougher Than Serena
"I don't believe it. Actually, I do believe it," Pliskova told ESPN's Pam Shriver afterward. "I always knew I had a chance to beat anyone if I play my game. This is amazing and I'm really excited to be in the final.
"Serena is a champion. It's never easy to play her. She was down a set and a break and was fighting hard. I'm really happy I stayed in there to get the win."
It's the second straight year Williams suffered a seismic semifinal upset.
This time, the aftershocks are even greater.
The defeat will cost Williams the world No. 1 ranking she's held for the last three-and-a-half years.
World No. 2. Angelique Kerber, who defeated two-time finalist Caroline Wozniacki , 6-4, 6-3, in tonight's second semifinal, will succeed Williams in the top spot when the new WTA rankings are released on Monday ending Serena's record-tying 186 consecutive weeks as world No. 1.
The six-time US Open champion, who was bending over grabbing at her left leg at times in the second set, battled with grit and extended grunts right up until the end.
On match point, the game's greatest server was betrayed by her best weapon—and spiking nerves.
Williams spit up her sixth double fault—her second double of the tie break—creating an astonished hush from the crowd and an anti-climactic end to an 85-minute stunner.
It was a declarative performance from Pliskova and historic result.
The lanky 24-year-old with the booming serve and penchant for first-strike tennis is the first Czech to reach the US Open women's final since Helena Sukova in 1993.
The US Open final is a rematch of last month's Cincinnati final in which Pliskova won 24 of 28 points played on her first serve crushing Kerber, 6-3, 6-1. Australian Open champion Kerber, who will contest her third major final of the season, has won four of seven meetings with Pliskova.
"We played a lot of times," Pliskova said. "I lost to her; I won. So I will be ready for anything. That's a final of a Grand Slam, so anything is possible. Of course, probably nerves from both sides. We both have a good chance to win. But, yeah, I will just do anything to win the title here."
Afterward, Williams said she suffered a left knee injury during the first week of the tournament that diminished her movement, but shot down suggestions fatigue was a factor in her demise.
"I have been having some serious left knee problems," Williams said. "I wasn't tired. Fatigue had absolutely nothing to do with it. If I was tired I should definitely get into a new career."
Even if the top seed was at full strength she would have been hard-pressed to halt the explosive Pliskova on this night.
The 10th-seeded Pliskova pounded seven aces extending her winning streak to 11 matches. She dropped just six points on her first serve and faced only one break point in the match. Every time Williams made a push, Pliskova answered with a bolt.
The woman who had never surpassed the third round of a Grand Slam prior to Flushing Meadows has beaten five Top 10 players during her career-best 11-match winning streak. She was the superior player from first ball to last tonight.
"Karolina played great today," Williams said. "I think if she had played any less then maybe I would have had a chance. So I think I wasn't at 100 percent,, but I also think she played well. She deserved to win today."
In a tennis irony, Pliskova, who denied Kerber the No. 1 ranking with a victory in last month's Cincinnati final, clinched the top spot for the 28-year-old German tonight.
Contesting her 33rd career major semifinal, Williams carried an extensive edge in experience over the Grand Slam semifinal debutante.
Pliskova imposed the placid aggression of a woman who truly believed the match was in her hands.
"I knew I'm going to have my chances even if she's playing her best," Pliskova said. "There is always a chance in those two sets. I was calm during the whole match. Even in the second set there was some complications. I was up a break.
"But it never can be so easy to play No. 1 in the world. You cannot win like 6-2, 6-1, so I wasn't expecting a match like this. I was prepared for anything, even if I would have lose the second set I would be ready for the third one."
The sense of calm Pliskova displayed throughout this tournament, notably in her 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) fourth-round win over Venus Williams carried her through the biggest victory of her career.
While Venus, wearing a pink visor, leaned forward in her seat, Pliskova leaned into a two-handed backhand coaxing Serena to jerk a backhand long. Pliskova had the first break and a 2-1 lead.
The 6'1" Czech generates easy power on serve and isn't shy exploring the lines. Pliskova overcame a couple of double faults bolting a 111 mph service winner down the middle holding for 4-2.
In contrast, Williams, who looked physically flat and emotionally detached after her two hour, 14-minute quarterfinal conquest of Simona Halep last night, dumped double fault to open the seventh game.
"I wasn't able to move the way I wanted to move," Williams said. "When you're injured you're thinking of other things when you should be just playing and thinking of your shots. My mind was just a little bit everywhere. But it was what it was."
Lacking conviction in her strikes, Williams wasn't finishing her forehand follow through. The top seed stumbled through a horrific game dropping serve at love for 2-5.
Throwing down first serves with authority, the underdog overwhelmed the world No. 1 winning 11 of the last 12 points to steamroll through the 26-minute opener.
The woman wearing black sleeves took the gloves off to open the second set. Williams was up quickly to a forehand sitter and nearly drilled her opponent in the leg with a high forehand; she fought off a set point to hold.
Pliskova shrugged off a pair of double faults pounding out another serve winner wide to level at 2-all after 44 minutes of play.
Fans could sense the match slipping away and tried to rouse Williams with rhythmic clapping as she faced another break point. Pliskova quieted the crowd in her opening-round sweep of American wild card Sofia Kenin and her victory over Venus inthe fourth round.
She muted the faithful again tonight.
Racing to her right she razed a running strike down the line that a staggered Williams could not control.
The third break of the match put Pliskova within three games of the final at 3-2.
Williams made a stand breaking back at love to level.
Wiping the sweat from her right palm on her black-and-pink skirt, Williams jammed herself on a forehand sitter netting an easy forehand that elicited a collective groan. Pliskova fought off an overhead winning a running rally earning another break point. Williams withstood scraping through a tough hold with a primal scream for 4-3.
Struggling to read and react to the sharp angle of Pliskova's serve and its high twisting spin, Williams was quickly down 0-3 in the tie break.
Rousing herself, the 22-time Grand Slam champion defended a drive down the line with a stab backhand, raced back into position and drilled a backhand down the line sending fans into a frenzy and snatching a 4-3 lead in the breaker.
Buzz led to another service betrayal: Williams double faulted for 4-all.
Deadlocked at 5-all, Williams, whose black dress was saturated with sweat, blasted a forehand return that Pliskova fought off coaxing a stray backhand for match point.
The end came abruptly as Williams misfired on her sixth double fault.
As she walked off the court, Williams waved an index finger in the air acknowleding the cheering fans and perhaps commemorating the No. 1 ranking that no longer precedes her name.