Considering the quality of tennis Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic displayed upon resumption of a postponed semifinal-round match, not a few quarters understandably felt let down by the ensuing Ladies’ Singles Final on Wimbledon’s Centre Court. It wasn’t merely that Angelique Kerber took all of 18 games spread over an hour and five minutes to triumph over Serena Williams; the fifth set of the set-to that preceded theirs had just as many. More tellingly, it was that they contested only 101 points, and yet they were separated by 11 in the end — as clear an indication as any of the lopsided nature of the affair.
Nonetheless, there can be no discounting the legitimacy of Kerber’s claim to the title. She certainly earned the Venus Rosewater Dish, going through a fortnight in which all but one of her contests went the minimum number of sets. Heading into the 2018 Championships, the story that made headlines was Williams’, who needed to convalesce from a variety of injuries and meet the demands of motherhood prior to putting a much-anticipated comeback in high gear. In truth, the narrative that surrounded her own return to the top of the sport was no less compelling.
Indeed, Kerber had a tough year after making her mark in 2016, with successful runs at the Australian and United States Opens sandwiching a runner-up finish at the All-England Club. She saw her world ranking go from Number One to a five-year low in the 20s, prompting her to fire longtime coach Torben Beltz in favor of Wim Fissette. Fortunately, the change, coupled with a renewed focus, worked wonders; it enabled her return to form, culminating in her triumph the other day.
Fittingly, Kerber paid tribute to Williams in her post-victory remarks. All the same, the spotlight was hers. As the 23-time Grand Slam holder noted, “from the first point to the last point, she played unbelievable.” And its to her credit that she cited her travails the year before as crucial to her development. “Without 2017, I couldn’t [have won] this tournament,” she disclosed. “I learned a lot last year.” Enough said.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
