TENNIS – Serena Williams has won her fourth season title and the third on the Californian hardcourts of the WTA Premier of Stanford, after coming back from two breaks down to Angelique Kerber to win 7-6 (1) 6-3.
For the world number one it was the 61st career title, a great present ahead of the 200th week at the very top of world rankings.
For Kerber, it was one another bitter ending of a great week, as the German number one has failed to capture any outdoor title despite nine attempts, three of which previously this season: all at premier level, with three losses to Tsvetlana Pironkova in Sydney, Simona Halep in Doha and Madison Keys in Eastbourne.
For the world number eight, it could not have started better though, especially because Williams looked to be in one of the numerous days of this 2014 in which she looked fragile and vulnerable.
Kerber’s forehand looked the best shot of the match for the first six games, in which she took full control of the court and easily gained a comfortable 5-1 lead.
The 3rd seed got as close to a set lead as 40-15 behind her serve, but the two set points ran away fast and with the help of a suddenly noisy crowd, Williams started to find her game and gained quite a momentum.
After breaking Kerber’s serve for the first time of the match, the world number one won 20 out of the next 23 points, including a love break when the German tried to serve for the set a second time.
The world number eight managed to stop the leak of games by saving a set point on 6-5 down before forcing the partial to a tiebreak, but her effort finished there as Williams swept the breaker by leaving her only one point.
Probably with her mind still on the missed chance, Kerber started the second set with a very erratic game, which handed an early break to Williams, who, on the contrary, faced no difficulty to hold her own until the very end.
The German then managed to contain her opponent and avoid a complete humiliation, but it was clear that the winner could have been one and one only.
On the fourth match point and with one more break of serve, Serena Williams closed her 13th straight victorious match in Stanford, starting in the very best possible way her summer campaign on American hardcourts.
