But the results were there for all to see down the stretch on Saturday in Arthur Ashe Stadium as Kerber, the No. "You saw it in the match," Kerber's coach, Torben Beltz, said of the changes in his pupil. It all adds up to a phenomenal and unexpected season and further proof that it is possible to make a breakthrough at an advanced tennis age. She is the first German woman to win the US Open since Steffi Graf, Kerber's childhood idol and occasional mentor, in 1996. In the end, Kerber won it with great defence, tracking down Pliskova's big power in the corners.

Source: The Telegraph September 11, 2016 21:56 UTC