The amazing adventure of Kiki Bertens has come to an end in the semi-final against Serena Williams at Roland Garros. The injured player from Wateringen had chances to win the first set, but eventually bowed out to the undisputed number one of the world: 7-6 (7), 6-4.<\/p>
The injury, tendonitis in her left calf, is a side effect of the extra-ordinary wins that Holland\u2019s number one achieved since the WTA tournament in N\u00fcrnberg. Since then, Bertens had won 12 matches in a row until she met Williams.<\/p>
An hour before the historic match Bertens and her coach Raemon Sluiter decided she would compete. The world number 58 was wearing leggings because of the cold and wet weather conditions as she entered the Philippe Chartrier court.<\/p>
Strong start
The match started really well for Bertens, who immediately forced three breaks. A double fault by Williams gave her the game. With a strong service game and a winning dropshot she led 2-0. Bertens then served herself to 3-1 with a love game.<\/p>
Bertens then chose to attack in her service game against Williams who was not moving as well as she usually does. Bertens earned two break chances thanks to a strong forehand winner. At the second possibility Bertens went, to the best of her abilities, for a forehand return winner, but her attempt landed just behind the baseline.<\/p>
Bertens created two set points in the first set. The first came at 5-3 during \u00a0the \u00a0serve of the 21-time Grand Slam winner, after an unsuccessful lob from the latter was punished with a smash. Bertens again attacked head on but this time the net was in the way Of a forehand winner.<\/p>
The serve at 5-4 did not work. A netball and a drop shot \u00a0got Williams to breakpoint \u00a0and the American attacked. A tiebreak had to decide this exciting first set.<\/p>
Tiebreak
After a number of strong rallies with many hooked hits by Williams, the latter opened the gap with a backhand return winner to take the lead 5-2. Bertens fought back and after two continuous missed volleys by Williams the second set point was achieved At 7-6.<\/p>
Then Williams played with a strong forehand, a return winner and a successful service\/forehand combination to win the set.<\/p>
The second set started again with an early advantage for Bertens, who achieved an impressive lovebreak for 2-0 with a drop shot and a backhand winner along the line.<\/p>
However, Williams was improving her play and her service and returns were causing more and more damage. The result was two breaks and a 5-3 lead.<\/p>
End to a dream
At 5-4 the title defender served, not without some difficulty, to victory. Bertens was hanging on and managed a 15-30 lead, but Williams regained momentum after a forehand from Bertens landed behind the baseline.<\/p>
Williams will play against fourth seed Garbine Muguruza in the final, a replay of 2015’s Wimbledon championship. The Spaniard defeated Samantha Stosur in the other semi-final.<\/p>
Bertens will retain 27th place on the world ranking (her highest position ever) because of her great performances in Paris, an astronomical amount of 500,000 euros in prize money and a prominent place in the Dutch history books.*<\/p>
Grand Slam history
Bertens is not the first Dutch woman to have reached the final stages of a Grand Slam. She is preceded by three others. Kea Bouman won the title at Roland Garros in 1927. Marijke Schaar-Jansen made it to the last four in Paris in 1971. The last semi-finalist at a major was Betty St\u00f6ve, who reached the final at Wimbledon and the last four at the US Open in 1977.<\/p>
Dutch men have made it to 11 semi-finals at Grand Slam level. Tom Okker was the first Dutchman to reach a final at the highest level (US Open) in 1968 and played in four other grand Slam semi-finals. Richard Krajicek won Wimbledon in 1996 and reached three semi-finals.<\/p>
Sjeng Schalken, at the US Open in 2002, and Martin Verkerk at The French Open in 2003 were the last Dutch semi-finalists at a Grand Slam. Verkerk lost the final in Paris.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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