Surprise losses by tennis world No. 2s after successes in the Rio Olympics.
Both the women’s and men’s finals featured a finalist from the Olympics, and in both cases the top seed lost their matches Sunday, with Andy Murray and Angelique Kerber seeming tired and off their games in the Western and Southern Masters 1000 event. Indeed, it seemed obvious that the exhaustion of playing such a heavy tennis schedule in Rio just before coming to Cincinnati ultimately did these two preeminent talents in.
A lackluster performance by German’s Kerber keeps Serena Williams’ record safe
For Germany’s Kerber, there was a lot riding on the line: a chance to take the number one spot from WTA’s dominant Serena Williams after a record 183 weeks at the top spot. All she had to do was win Sunday’s match against number 12 Karolina Pliskova.
But Ms. Williams can rest a little easier today, as the German star lost Sunday, allowing the reigning world No. 1 to hold her ranking into week number 184, edging just a few weeks closer to Kerber compatriot Steffi Graf’s WTA record of 186, a streak that ended in 1997.
Coming into the final today a week after her Silver medal finish in Rio, Angelique Kerber fell behind quickly in the first set as she was broken early. Fatigue from the Games seemed to affect her as she made several unforced errors and couldn’t seem to get her head in the game. She wilted in the second set with a lackluster performance, only getting on the board for one game.
A great run for Karolina Pliskova
Pliskova was the lowest ranked W&S finalist in eight years and the first Czech woman to win the title. Kerber’s rank stays the same, but her opponent’s moves up to no. 11 this week with her win on Sunday. This was the biggest win in 24 year-old Pliskova’s career and her second title this year. She defeated Jelena Ostapenko, Misaki Doi, No. 7 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, and No. 4 seed Garbine Muguruza before beating 28 year-old Kerber in the final, 6-3, 6-1.
Had the world no. 2 won, Kerber would have become the oldest woman to rank at the top of the WTA for the first time.
Andy Murray’s exhaustive schedule catches up with him
Another world no. 2, Andy Murray, has had a fantastic summer, starting with a win at Wimbledon and a record second Gold Medal at the Olympics. It’s no wonder that he seemed like he ran out of steam in the Western & Southern final on Sunday, however, losing to Marin Cilic in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5. The loss also ended his career-best winning streak at 22 straight matches.
The grueling four-set final against Juan Martin del Potro in Rio took its toll on the Scotsman in Ohio, where fatigue — coupled with the adrenaline from weeks of intense tennis — finally got the better of him.
Murray flew directly to Cincinnati from Rio de Janeiro last Sunday, and started out the tournament with a head cold and back pain. Sunday’s match was also the 15th he’s played in just 14 days. And while Murray was playing better once he reached the semifinals, by the time the championship match came around, he was spent, allowing Cilic to capture his first-ever Masters title.
Cilic makes the case he’s also a contender
The Croat’s win also ends the 18-Masters titles streak by one of the Big Four (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray). Indeed, it seems Cilic’s 2014 US Open Grand Slam is now no longer just a fluke.
The sense of accomplishment wasn’t lost on the world No. 9 as he pumped his arms in victory and jumped around the court afterwards. Due to the rain delays earlier in the week, Cilic’s semifinal match had ended the night before, at just after 2 a.m., and he admitted he hadn’t gone to sleep until hours later. He looked rested and in top form on Sunday, however.
“I felt I played really, really high quality tennis,” Cilic told ESPN’s Brad Gilbert afterwards. “I was very motivated, definitely this week, to play well.”
A new coach and new results
The 27 year-old Croatian is also working with a new coach, Jonas Bjorkman, who wasn’t there in Ohio, but will be getting together this week in order to help prepare him for the US Open. Cilic broke with his former coach, Goran Ivanisevic earlier this year. Ironically, Cilic ousted 8th ranked Tomas Berdych — Ivanisevic’s former protege — on Thursday, so perhaps his new coaching choice was a smart move.
“It’s very important to me to continue on this path,” he gold Gilbert in his post-match interview.
Although he lost Sunday’s match, Andy Murray was still reflecting on all the positives from the summer tennis season, including the record second gold medal in Rio.
“It’s been a great run, for the last few months,” he told the crowd in his runner-up speech and assured them, “I’ll see you all next year.”
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The Western & Southern champions also get to walk away with what looks like the ugliest trophy in a major tennis tournament, a unique design made from The Rookwood Pottery Co. pieces that is supposed to represent a segment of Cincinnati’s cultural heritage. The championship cup is cream, burgundy, and green, and adorned with acanthus leaves and tennis ball blooms. But even that seems an improvement on the one handed out in 1899, where the men’s champion received four beer mugs and the woman would receive a vase.
The tournament has a big history. It is also the oldest tournament in the U.S. that is still played in its original city.