NEW YORK: Early in what would become a tight test of a US Open final, Angelique Kerber sprinted forward to somehow reach a drop shot and scoop a down-the-line winner that landed in a corner of the court.

The Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd roared, and Kerber celebrated by raising her right hand and wagging her index finger in the air, as if to remind opponent Karolina Pliskova — and everyone else — “I’m No. 1!”

Yes, she is. And a two-time Grand Slam champion, too.

Kerber won her first US Open title and the second major trophy of her magical 2016 season, taking five of the last six games to beat Czech 10th seed Pliskova 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 on Saturday.

“It means a lot to me. When I was a kid, I was always dreaming to one day be the number one player in the world, to win Grand Slams,” said the 28-year-old Kerber, who officially takes over from Serena Williams as the world’s top ranked player on Monday.

“I mean, all the dreams came true this year.”

Never a Grand Slam finalist before 2016, Kerber beat Serena for the Australian Open title in January, then was the runner-up to her at Wimbledon in July and on Saturday became the first German to win the US Open in 20 years.

Kerber recovered from a break down in the third set, pouncing on her wilting opponent with two breaks in the third set to end a compelling, high-quality battle of attrition that stretched for two hours and seven minutes.

“It’s just amazing,” a beaming Kerber, told an adoring crowd after being handed the winner’s cheque of $3.5 million. “I won my second Grand Slam in one year. That’s the best of my career.”

Pliskova, who arrived at Flushing Meadows with a reputation of grand slam under-achiever having never before been beyond the third round of the major, shed that label by making it all the way to the final and taking on back-to-back world number ones.

After beating top ranked Serena in the semi-finals to end the American’s record-equalling 186 consecutive weeks stay at the top of the rankings, the big-hitting Pliskova, who has led the WTA Tour in aces the last two season, attacked her successor in the final but could not break down the tireless German’s defence.

“You cannot compare those two [Serena Williams and Kerber],” explained Pliskova. “The game is totally different. The persons as well. Serena is going for every shot.

“With Angie, you cannot wait for mistakes. She doesn’t give you anything. I have to be the one who is aggressive.”

Pliskova also beat Venus Williams en route to the title match, becoming just the fourth player to beat both Williams sisters in the same Grand Slam.

“I beat very good players. It was always my goal to pass the third round and I made it to the final,” she said.

The match opened with Kerber breaking a jittery Pliskova and ended the same way, though for most part it was a very even contest.

Kerber’s loss of the second set was the first time the entire championship that she had dropped a set.

But she fought back in the third set and wore down the towering Czech, who started to wilt in the punishing conditions, hunching over her racket at the end of almost every point.

Kerber, sensing an opening, stepped up the pressure and pace getting triple break point at 5-4 and closed out the contest on the first match point.

“I think I was just believing in my­self in the third set and just goi­ng for it,” said Kerber. “I think that was the key at the end of the third set, that I was trying to take the chance, just go for it.”

Published in Dawn September 12th, 2016