By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, October 30, 2016
Sitting on her court-side seat before stepping up to serve for the biggest title of her career, Dominika Cibulkova's feet tap-danced on the floor repeatedly.
Even while sitting down, the energetic Slovak was a woman going places.
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Commanding the center of the court, Cibulkova competed with urgency and struck with vitality muscling past world No. 1 Angelique Kerber, 6-3, 6-4, to capture the WTA Finals championship in Singapore.
On her fourth championship point, Cibulkova cracked a running forehand that tripped on the top of the tape and dribbled over as she dropped to her back in triumphant celebration.
"There's no words," Cibulkova said. "Coming here for the first time winning the biggest tournament of my life right now. I just remember the match point. I put the ball over the net and it just went in. It was the happiest moment of my life."
The spunky Slovak snapped a five-match losing streak to Kerber, collecting her eighth career title and a $2.054 million champion's check.
The 5'3" Cibulkova served 83 percent, converted three of five break points and played brilliant first-strike tennis often reducing the two-time Grand Slam champion to the role of retriever.
A week after Kerber reeled off five of the last six games squeezing out a 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-3 over Cibulkova in their round-robin opener, Cibulkova turned the tables playing dynamic tennis against the game's premier defender.
"I give today everything on court, everything I have left," Kerber said.
Raising the prestigious Billie Jean King title trophy, Cibulkova is expected to rise to a career-high No. 5 when the new WTA rankings are released tomorrow. She came out flying high from the first point.
The seventh-seeded Slovak won the toss and elected to serve.
Swinging more freely at the outset, Cibulkova crunched an inside-out forehand breaking at 15 for 2-0. She backed up the break at love. By then, Cibulkova had won 12 of the first 15 points building a 3-0 lead.
Settling into the match, Kerber began to work the width of the court and make Cibulkova strike on the move. Coaxing a cluster of errors, she broke back for 2-3.
The squeaking of Cibulkova's sneakers signaled the quick preparation steps before striking. Cracking an inside-out forehand, she earned break point and broke for the second time for 4-2.
Stamping her second love hold, Cibulkova stretched her lead to 5-2.
A daring Cibulkova dragged Kerber forward with the drop shot then surprised the top seed squeezing a backhand pass down the line for set point. Cibulkova completed a 31-minute set of superb tennis sliding a serve down the middle then launching a crosscourt forehand winner.
Cibulkova served 85 percent and smacked 14 winners, doubling Kerber's total in the opening set.
Calling out coach Torben Beltz for a consultation, Kerber tried to press the reset button. She held at 15 to start the second set.
Absorbing the weight of Cibulkova's shots, Kerber clobbered a forehand winner down the line and screamed in celebration. She held strong for 2-1.
Controlling the center of the court, Cibulkova struck with more force and penetration.
The top seed's weakness is her predictability on serve. She tends to hit the wide slice on the ad side almost exclusively. Cibulkova knew what was coming and exploited it.
A Kerber double fault followed by a sharp Cibulkova backhand volley winner gave the seventh seed triple break point. When Kerber scattered a shot wide of the sideline a fired-up Cibulkova screamed "Pome!" earning the first break of the set for 4-3.
Slashing her third ace out wide, Cibulkova followed with a body serve holding at 15 for 5-3.
Sliding a slice backhand down the line to draw the error, Cibulkova gained double championship point.
After 69 minutes of near-flawless play, Cibulkova tightened for the first time netting a double fault. She over-shot the baseline on her second championship point then wacked a wide forehand giving Kerber break point.
Running the German side-to-side, Cibulkova moved in and knocked a low volley to set up a winner. The Slovak fired yet another forehand winner inside the sideline for her third championship point.
Drawing the short ball with a wide serve, Cibulkova had the match and title in front of her, but flagged a forehand into the tape. She tried to smile off that costly miscue, but in the exhilarating 17-shot rally that followed Kerber fended off everything the Slovak hit earning a second break point.
Cibulkova calmly cracked a forehand winner down the line then Kerber knocked a return into net.
On her fourth championship point, Cibulkova caught the tape with a running forehand. The ball popped up in the air for a split-second as if suspended on a string then plopped over as Cibulkova crashed to the court in pure elation.
The WTA Finals debutante dominated the world No. 1 completing a monumental season in which she fought back from an Achilles injury, married her long-time fiance, Michal, and won four titles.
"It's the biggest moment of my career," a smiling Cibulkova said. "It's hard to describe it with words... With hard work everything is possible."
The 27-year-old Slovak arose wearing the wide smile of a champion. She embraced her husband and support time then hugged her tearful father, Milan, whom she credits with her energetic disposition and her mother Katrina capping a near flawless performance with a family embrace.