{"id":246953,"date":"2016-09-09T05:20:41","date_gmt":"2016-09-09T05:20:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=246953"},"modified":"2016-09-09T05:20:41","modified_gmt":"2016-09-09T05:20:41","slug":"karolina-pliskova-stuns-serena-williams-in-us-open-semi-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/09\/karolina-pliskova-stuns-serena-williams-in-us-open-semi-final\/","title":{"rendered":"Karolina Pliskova stuns Serena Williams in US Open semi-final"},"content":{"rendered":"
Czech 10th seed Karolina Pliskova outplayed Serena Williams to reach the US Open final and end the American’s reign as world number one.<\/p>\n
Williams, 34, double-faulted on match point to lose 6-2 7-6 (7-5), and Pliskova will face German second seed Angelique Kerber in the final.<\/p>\n
The result guarantees that Kerber will overtake Williams at the top of the rankings after the US Open.<\/p>\n
Williams had also hoped to win an Open-era record 23rd major singles title.<\/p>\n
She remains tied with Steffi Graf for both Grand Slam titles, and the WTA record of 186 successive weeks as world number one.<\/p>\n
“Karolina played great today,” said Williams, who revealed she had been hampered by a sore left knee since earlier in the tournament<\/p>\n
“I think if she had played any less then maybe I would have had a chance. So I think I wasn’t at 100%, but I also think she played well. She deserved to win today.”<\/p>\n
Australian Open champion Kerber beat Denmark’s Carolina Wozniacki 6-4 6-3 to reach her first US Open final.<\/p>\n
“It’s just incredible, it’s a great day,” said Kerber. “To be here in the final for the first time means a lot and to be number one in the world – it sounds amazing.”<\/p>\n