Top seed Ashleigh Barty pulled off a stunning 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over 2018 winner Angelique Kerber in the Wimbledon semifinals on Thursday. Carrying a childhood dream and a nation’s hopes, Barty will now look to give her all on Saturday when she takes on 8th seed Karolina Pliskova in the final.
In a match that lived up to its billing, Barty and Kerber produced some grueling exchanges and showed some remarkable fighting spirit. After the Aussie breezed through the opening set, Kerber stepped up her game to lead by a break in the second.
But Barty’s relentless accuracy helped her take the match to a second set tiebreak, where she eventually clinched the win on her fourth match point. Speaking to the press after her win, the Aussie struggled to express her emotions about making the Wimbledon final.
“It was just almost a moment of relief, a moment of pure excitement. It was something that I never knew if I would feel,” Barty said. “I think being able to have an opportunity to play in a final here at Wimbledon is incredible.”
The World No. 1 also spared a few words for Angelique Kerber, acknowledging that the left-hander is an “incredible competitor”.
“I think for me today it was about knowing that I could draw on my experiences from my two previous semis, and I think I was able to do that,” Barty added. “But Angie is an incredible competitor. She’s a great champion. I knew that I had to bring my very best level today to match it with her.”
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