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US Open (tennis)
SportTennis

Hong Kong-bound Angelique Kerber downs Caroline Wozniacki for place in US Open final

New world number one will face Serena Williams’ conqueror Karolina Pliskova in Flushing Meadows final

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Angelique Kerber of Germany celebrates after defeating Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the US Open semi-final. Photo: AFP
Agence France-Presse

Angelique Kerber marked her elevation to the world number one ranking by reaching the US Open final on Friday with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Caroline Wozniacki.

The 28-year-old left-hander, who won the Australian Open in January and was Wimbledon runner-up in July, is the first German woman to reach the final in New York since Steffi Graf in 1996.

She will emulate Graf as US Open champion if she gets the better of Karolina Pliskova, who stunned Serena Williams 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) in her semi-final, in Saturday’s championship match.

Graf is also the only other German woman to achieve the top ranking.

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“It’s incredible to be in the final and to be the world number one, it’s a great day,” said Kerber, who will return to Hong Kong in October to participate in the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open. Wozniacki has also signed up to play at the Victoria Park tournament, her first visit to the city since 2011.
The German leads Pliskova 4-3 in their head to heads, but the Czech won their most recent meeting in the Cincinnati final last month.
Wozniacki is still looking for her first major title. Photo: AFP
Wozniacki is still looking for her first major title. Photo: AFP
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Just moments after becoming the oldest first-time world number one, Kerber raced out of the blocks against the Dane, a two-time runner-up at the tournament.

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