NEW YORK - Serena Williams faces a challenging new landscape in her continued pursuit of Grand Slam history thanks to the rise of a clutch of talented and fearless rivals led by new number one Angelique Kerber. Pliskova's victory ensured Kerber, snapping for weeks at Williams's heels, would rise to number one -- a feat she marked with her second Grand Slam title of the season at Flushing Meadows. "I don't think Serena is going anywhere," said US Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez. But Williams must increasingly pick and choose her tournaments to preserve her body for the Grand Slams that are her priority. "We know that had Serena played a full schedule, most likely she would not have lost that number one ranking," said 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova.

Source: Bangkok Post September 11, 2016 18:45 UTC