Angelique Kerber and Julia Görges have made history by reaching the semi-finals in Wimbledon. But the journey on Church Road is not over yet.
By Jörg Allmeroth from Wimbledon
It was a day, which even in the golden German tennis times had not existed. A Wimbledon day to frame, for the history books – with two radiant German quarter-final winners, who can even meet at the end of this tournament in the very last game, in the fight for the top prize. For the time being, however, they have arrived proudly and together in the last four, Angelique Kerber and Julia Görges, two strong women at the height of their strength and art at the most important tournament in the world.
Never before in the modern tennis era have two DTB players played together in the semi-finals of the Open English Championships. Now, in 2018, the time had come: first Kerber won a real battle of nerves and with the seventh match point 6:3 and 7:5 against the tricky Russian Daria Kasatkina, then Görges used her compatriot’s steep pattern and won 3:6, 7:5 and 6:1 against Kiki Bertens from the Netherlands. “A hell of a thing. It was a great moment for us,” rejoiced DTB women’s boss Barbara Rittner, who had accompanied the rise of the two international players in the last decade.
Only two players could prevent the German final on Thursday: The Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, who has to play Kerber in a game that has never been played before in the Tourcircuit in a curious way. And seven-time champion and comebacker Serena Williams, the prominent rival of Görges – trying to win her first Grand Slam Cup as a mother.
The 36-year-old exceptional player has won all three games so far against Görges, but what does that matter in the here and now. At a moment when Görges has also discovered her strength on the once so unloved lawn. “I just can’t find the words. It’s absolutely amazing what happened,” said Görges, who had had to put up with five first-round knockouts on Chruch Road in the last few years alone.
However, this memorable 10 July began with a thriller on Centre Court, with the most impressive and exciting match of the women’s tournament to date – and an inspiring Angelique Kerber, who herself endured the trauma of six match balls missed in the meantime.
“I just stayed cool. I have always believed in myself,” said the woman from Kiel, who has now reached the semi-finals of the most prestigious meeting of the scene for the third time. In 2016 she had even reached the final, Serena Williams was outnumbered.
An up and downhill ride followed later, the US Open victory in 2016, the jump to number 1, but also the crash of last year. And now the incredibly courageous return to old strength, in a 2018 season that had already brought the semi-finals in Australia and the quarter-finals in Paris to the big stages. “Kerber is the title favorite for me now. Only Serena can stop them,” said Belgium’s ex-star Kim Clijsters on Tuesday.
With a 6:3, 5:4, 40:15 lead, everything seemed to have gone for Kerber against the resourceful Kasatkina, one point was still missing for the new Wimbledon luck, for the semi-final ticket. But it was only the start of an unprecedented trembling act in which Kerbers mother Beata also died a thousand small deaths in the box of honour.
Meanwhile, the mother seemed so desperate that one had the impression that she would hurry down onto the tennis green herself the next moment to take matters into her own hands. But then they were both Kerber and Kerber, but still released from the agony of hell, finally, finally with the seventh match point, when Kasatkina, who had been unyielding until then, put a backhand ball into the net.
“Yeeeees”, Kerber junior shouted down on the main square of the All England Club, so loud and so relieved that you could probably hear it all over the tournament grounds on Church Road. And on top, mother Kerber, coach Wim Fissette and manager Aljoscha Thron fell into each other’s arms, also struggling after the nerve battle on the home straight. “I’m terribly relieved now,” Kerber said afterwards.
After a weak start, Görges fought back resolutely and defiantly against her friend Bertens. The 29-year-old international was not disturbed when she missed two set points for a 1-1 draw in the second set.
A little later, with the break to 7:5, everything was back to zero, the third set had to bring the decision. And there Görges was clearly the woman who set the pace and the beat. Bertens only managed to win one more game before Görge entered completely unknown territory – the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament. So all the German luck on that day was perfect.
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