reuters
New York, Sept 5: Angelique Kerber won a battle of Grand Slam champions when the second seed powered her way into the quarterfinals of the US Open here Sunday with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Petra Kvitova.
By reaching the last eight, Kerber has put herself in position to end Serena Williams’ long reign as World No.1. Serena now must reach the final at least to retain the top slot.
“When I was a kid, of course I was dreaming to winning Slams and being one day No.1,” admitted Kerber. “Now it can happen.”
Meanwhile in another mouth-watering development, Caroline Wozniacki, derailed this year by an ankle injury which sent her career into a tailspin, and Anastasija Sevastova, who quit the sport three years ago, set up an US Open quarterfinal duel.
Former World No.1 Wozniacki, the runner-up in 2009 and 2014, downed American eighth seed Madison Keys 6-3, 6-4.
Now ranked at 74 in the world after a right ankle injury sidelined her for almost three months, the Danish star hit just seven unforced errors in her win over Keys.
“After such a tough year, it’s amazing to be in the quarterfinals,” said the 26-year-old whose Grand Slam record this year had seen first round losses in Australia and Wimbledon while she sat out Roland Garros.
Sevastova meanwhile became the first Latvian woman in 22 years to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal when she beat British 13th seed Johanna Konta 6-4, 7-5. She had earlier knocked out third seed Garbine Muguruza in the second round. The Briton was undone by 34 unforced errors.
Larisa Savchenko was the last Latvian woman to make the quarterfinals of a Slam at Wimbledon in 1994.
Italian seventh seed and 2015 runner-up Roberta Vinci also reached the quarterfinals for the fourth time with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 win over Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine.
