Serena dethroned by Kerber

Angelique Kerber won four titles on the ITF tour and climbed into the top 100 in May for the first time. The pressure nearly looked too much for Kerber at times – a wayward ball toss on second serve was punished more than once as Williams regained control of the match, hitting only five unforced errors in the set compared to Kerber’s seven.

Kerber was not in awe of Williams, although after the match she called her “an inspiration for so many people”.

Germany’s Angelique Kerber stretches for a shot during her match against Serena Williams at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park, Australia, January 30, 2016.

After more than two hours of play, the German seventh seed shocked the all conquering American with a dramatic three set victory (6-4 3-6 6-4).

Angelique Kerber has gatecrashed Serena Williams’ party to become the first German grand slam champion since the great Steffi Graf.

Watching Kerber methodically dismantle the best player in the world since her own compatriot, Steffi Graf, it was incomprehensible that Kerber might have fallen at the first hurdle to Doi, a player of towering anonymity, 11 days and six wins ago.

After her devastating loss in the Australian Open 2016 final, the world number one will probably take some time to hibernate and keep her intimacy with her coach Patrick Mouratoglou on the down low again.

The 34-year-old American had been seeking her seventh Melbourne Park title and 22nd overall, which would have moved her into a tie with Graf for the most grand slam singles titles in the Open era.

En route to the final Kerber beat two-time champion Victoria Azarenka to signal she meant business, and she made the most of an error-strewn performance by Williams. “I’m really honored to be in this final and to win it – my dream came true tonight”, said Kerber.

“Every time I walk in this room, everyone expects me to win every single match, every single day of my life”, said Williams. “As much as I would like to be a robot, I’m not. After Steffi, now somebody won a Grand Slam”.

“My phone is exploding right now”, said Kerber, who will rise to second in the rankings.

Williams was starting to tidy up her game and the second-set statistics proved it: 16 winners and a paltry five unforced errors. She played the ideal match she could play under the circumstances, and it was a match defined by her ability to play at the flawless tempo and with the flawless tactics at the correct time.

Kerber had a chance to serve for the match at 5-3 in the third but couldn’t hold.

At the ceremony, she was all smiles again. “I do the best that I can”. “Enjoy the moment. You truly deserve it”. Her best finishes in the others: semifinals in the 2011 U.S. Open and at Wimbledon in 2012, the same year she reached the French Open quarterfinals. I’ve beaten her a lot.

Both players suffered early breaks in the third set but the championship appeared to have tipped in the German’s favour in a marathon sixth game when she finally converted her fifth break point to take a 4-2 lead. Kerber held to stay in the set, before Williams steeled herself, found an ace, and forced a loose forehand from Kerber to level at a set apiece.

But the German responded brilliantly, felling Williams in a furious baseline rally to raise her one and only match point.