Courtesy: Family Circle Cup
Angelique Kerber found her best tennis right when she needed it. Sunday at the Family Circle Cup the German seeded No. 5 rallied from 1-4 down in the third set, beating American Madison Keys 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in a dramatic encounter.
It's a fourth WTA title for Kerber, who exacted revenge over the 20-year-old Illinois native after Keys had beaten her in the Eastbourne final last summer.
Kerber had a week to remember on Daniel Island: She came from a set down to win her first match against little-known Evgeniya Rodinain the second round, then shocked No. 3 seed and defending champion (as well as good friend) Andrea Petkovic in the semifinals on Saturday.
Keys led 4-1 in the deciding set before Kerber won the final six out of seven games, rallying for the victory. On match point, both players ended up on the green clay, a hard-fought point and match by each woman. Kerber keeps the German flag flying over Billie Jean King Stadium Court a year after countrywoman Petkovic won here. In 2009 Sabine Lisicki, another German, was champion, and Steffi Graf is a four-time winner.
"It's unbelievable," said world No. 16 said after the triumph. "I mean to win the title here in Charleston after really difficult weeks that I had… I'm feeling great. I had last year four finals and I didn't won one [sic], so it's great to win actually this tournament."
The two battled for nearly three hours on an overcast day on Billie Jean King Stadium Court, in a match that showcased the raw power of Keys and Kerber's relentless ball-retrieving skills. The 27-year-old German is now 3-1 against Keys in head-to-head encounters.
"I was in the third set just telling to myself, you know, 'Just go for it and just try,'" Kerber said. "And I did it. So I think that was the key at the end, that I just was going for it."
Keys couldn't overcome Kerber's consistency and pinpoint-placed drop shots, either.
"At the end she just didn't make any mistakes," a teary-eyed Keys told reporters. "And I started making a couple more, and that was really the match."
Continued Keys: "If you can't be first, I guess it's okay to be second. (This week is) definitely something that I'm proud of, and just (I'll) learn from it and, you know, use it towards the next couple of weeks on clay."
Kerber, a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, won her first title in nearly 18 months. She also turned around a slow start to the 2015 season, having come into Charleston at 8-9.
"I worked very hard in the last few weeks, and every single match here I played very good," she said. "So I'm looking forward, and I think I have for sure the confidence that the next tournament will be going good, too."
On the doubles side, At least for another day, Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza remain perfect.
The top seeds at the Family Circle Cup won the doubles title on Sunday with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Casey Dellacqua and Darija Jurak, the championship earning Mirza the No. 1 doubles ranking in the world.
It was a triumphant return for Hingis in Charleston, singles winner here in 1997 and 1999 as well as doubles champ in 1997. It marked the first time for the former world No. 1 in singles and doubles to play at the Cup since 2001.
By becoming No. 1, Mirza is the first Indian woman to reach that ranking. She's just the 33rd woman to hold the ranking since the WTA began them, back in 1984.
It's a 44th career doubles crown for Hingis and 26th for Mirza, who have collected winners' trophies in Indian Wells, Miami and now Charleston in their first three tournaments as partners. In all, they're an undefeated 14-0 in those three tournaments.
"For this to happen over three tournaments is pretty amazing," said Mirza, the 28 year old. "For me to have Martina on my side, she helped me in some very tough moments and it helps when she's been there, done that so many times, and she's a great champion, and she helped me through those tough moments, and it's a very special feeling."
For Dellacqua and Jurak, it was just a second tournament together, having debuted in Miami.
In 1997, Hingis became the world No. 1 singles player for the first time in her career after winning the Family Circle Cup title, as well. Hingis and Mirza took a last-minute wild card into the Cup, something they're happy now that they did.
"To come here to Charleston was almost like a bonus," said Hingis. "Coming here and doing the hand shake (after the final), it's like I'm very happy and I feel very honored to be along with Sania and helping her to become No. 1. I'm 34. So it's like everything is a bonus, you know. Whatever happens now and helping or doing it, it's just everything a great feeling."
Mirza will become No. 1 in doubles when the rankings are released on Monday.
"To come through all that after all these years, and I mean for my family, the sacrifices we put in. We all have a story," a reflective Mirza said. "And it all just seems worth it today, you know. And no one can take it away from me. I'm going to be the No. 1 in the world. Even 50 years from now I'll go down as the former world No. 1, and that's something that's very, very special."
Courtesy: WTA.com
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