By Erik Gudris | Sunday, April 12, 2015
Angelique Kerber mounted a come from behind win over Madison Keys to claim the Family Circle Cup title.
Photo Credit: AP
Germany's Angelique Kerber overcame a third set deficit to win her first title of the season at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina.
WTA: Mirza Will Become WTA Doubles World No. 1
Sunday's final that featured Kerber against Madison Keys lived up to its billing as an exciting, unpredictable battle that went down to the wire.
"Madison is a great player and I feel like we are both champions," Kerber said right after the win to ESPN's Pam Shriver. "I am happy I won it in the end."
Keys entered the final having not her lost serve all event and looked poised to perhaps win her first clay court title. Yet Keys endured a shaky opening game that saw Kerber break for an early lead. Both women struggled with their serve as they each traded breaks.
Keys' powerful groundstrokes and huge serve were matched by Kerber's trademark defense to offense play from the baseline and crafty use of drop shots at the right time. Kerber won an extended game to take a 4-2 lead and would break Keys again before wrapping up the first set 6-2.
With her coach for the week Lisa Raymond telling her to have a "great attitude" entering the second set, Keys rebounded. The young American began trying to shorten rallies and move forward more to counter Kerber from the baseline.
Neither woman dropped serve, but Keys made her move late in the set thanks to a drop in level from Kerber. Keys found herself with three set points at 5-4 and clinched the set with a potent forehand winner.
Keys fought off multiple break points against her in two early service games in the final set. That helped her eventually take an early 3-1 lead after Kerber struck two forehands long while down break point. Keys then extended her lead to 4-1 with a forehand winner.
Though the match looked to be in Keys' control, another momentum shift was near. Kerber, though a coaching consult, started to mix up the pace and direction of her shots. That helped her break back and soon get the set on serve at 4-3.
Keys hung tough from the baseline and, after several incredible exchanges up at net from both, found herself a game away from the title at 5-4.
Kerber though held serve easily for 5-all and it was then that her experienced shone. Keys began hitting multiple errors at the wrong time including her first double fault of the match. Keys, down break point, then hit a backhand long giving Kerber the edge for 6-5.
Kerber took advantage of more untimely errors from Keys down the stretch and soon it was match point for the German. A final rally ended with Keys hitting long one last time. With that, Kerber fell to the court in joyful celebration of the 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 victory.
Keys struck 49 winners and 57 unforced errors compared to just 17 winners and 21 unforced errors from Kerber for the match.
"He just said believe in yourself, stay relaxed, and yeah just play point by point. And I'm very thankful he said this to me because it very helpful," Kerber said about her coaching consult while down 1-4 in the final set.
The Charleston title turns around what had been up to this week a difficult early season for Kerber. The German, who fell out of the top 10, was 8-9 for wins and losses entering the event for the year. Charleston is now the fourth career title for Kerber and second at the Premier level.
In the doubles final, Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza beat Casey Dellacqua and Darija Jurak 6-0, 6-4. With the win, Mirza became the new World No. 1 in doubles and also the first Indian woman to be No. 1.