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By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, August 9, 2015

 
Angelique Kerber

Angelique Kerber conquered Karolina Pliskova, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, to win the Stanford title raising her record in finals to 4-0 this season.

Photo credit: Bank of the West Classic

A flat blast from Karolina Pliskova struck like a body blow. Dropping to a crouch, Angelique Kerber was so low she planted her right hand on the court for support while flicking a lefty forehand pass down the line.

On a day in which the powerful Pliskova knocked Kerber to her knees, the German fended off drives like a goalie keeping a flawless final record intact.

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Digging out shots and countering with accuracy, Kerber conquered Pliskova, 6-3 5-7, 6-4, to win the Stanford title a year after falling to Serena Williams in the 2014 final.

A champion for all surfaces, Keber raised her finals record to 4-0 this season, winning four Premier titles on three different surfaces. She won back-to-back titles on clay claiming Charleston Har-Tru and Stuttgart on red clay before capturing Birmingham on grass.

It's been a turnaround season for Kerber, who was winless in four finals last season. She plays low to the ground, grinds out gets from demanding spots on court and continously forced Pliskova to play an extra ball.

Contesting her fifth final of the year, Pliskova fell to 1-4 in finals and joked during the trophy presentation she was sick of seeing her friend on the other side of the net.

"I just told her I don't want to play her anymore in the finals. Next time I would like to have a different opponent from you," Pliskova said to Kerber.

Everytime it looked like Pliskova was prepared to take charge, Kerber came back with an answer. The Czech, who is projected to crack the Top 10 for the first time when the new WTA rankings are released on Monday, had 52 winners and 52 unforced errors, including 10 double faults.

Pliskova reeled off three consecutive games, slashing an ace and smacking a backhand winner to hold for 3-2. Kneeling into a backhand, Kerber crunched a pass crosscourt for double break point. Pliskova erased both, then flattened a forehand into net as Kerber's persistence provoked the break for 4-3.

Kerber wasn't just countering on the stretch. She shrewdly changed the depth of her shots which sometimes left the taller Czech reaching for the ball with her arms rather than using her legs to move up to the ball. Slapping her fourth double fault into net, Pliskova stared down triple set point. She sailed a forehand as Kerber won her fourth consecutive game collecteing the opener in 31 minutes.

The heavier hitting Pliskova was the aggressor throughout the set, but Kerber played cleaner tennis hitting 20 fewer unforced errors.

When Pliskova steps into the court and sets her feet, her strikes can be lethal. She hit some heavy backhands for break point and knocked off a high forehand volley breaking for 3-2 as Kerber wailed in disgust. Pliskova wasn't a very convincing front runner in this match. A double fault and stiff backhand into net saw her give the break right back with a visible dose of frustration: She bounced her Babolat racquet off the cout.

Shrugging it off, Pliskova plastered a forehand down the line breaking again to go up for a third time, 4-3. Pliskova failed to serve out the set at 5-4.

Taking a medical timeout to get her right ankle taped, Pliskova unraveled. She spiked a backhand sitter into the bottom of the net then watched Kerber dig out a brilliant running backhand pass to break back for 5-all. A ninth break in 11 games gave Pliskova a second opportunity to serve it out. This time she was up to the task. Pliskova hit 23 winners, 14 more than her opponent, to take the second set in 51 minutes.




Pliskova scored the third straight break of the final set for 3-2, leaving Kerber to spend the ensuing changeover with her white towel draped over her head in Vera Zvonareva-style repose. She took off the towel and went back to churning shots into the corners, digging out the break.

Serving to extend the match at 4-5, Pliskova slapped a double fault into the tape to drop to deuce. Staring down match point, Pliskova snapped off a sharp second serve setting up a forehand to save it. But another tight double faulted gifted a second championshop point. Pliksova rushed a forehand into net as Kerber wrapped up the win in two hours, seven minutes. 

 

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