Kerber reaches final as Ostapenko self-destructs
Kerber reaches final as Ostapenko self-destructs
Published: 07:29 pm Jul 12, 2018
LONDON: Germany's Angelique Kerber proved too solid for error-strewn Latvian Jelena Ostapenko as she reached her second Wimbledon final with a 6-3 6-3 victory on Thursday. The 30-year-old was gifted point after point as Ostapenko's aggressive game backfired in a blaze of unforced errors. A tight tussle looked in store at 3-3 in the first set but when Ostapenko fired a forehand long to drop serve the match quickly ran away from her. She double-faulted on set point and Kerber, who served well and defended superbly when required to fend off Ostapenko's sporadic attacks, accelerated into a 5-1 lead. Ostapenko suddenly began to land some big blows, clawing back a couple of games and had a point to narrow the deficit to a single game as Kerber showed late nerves. But Kerber nipped the recovery in the bud and booked a Saturday date back on Centre Court when Ostapenko rammed a forehand wide. She will face either seven-times champion Serena Williams or fellow German Julia Georges in the final.