By E.J. Crawford
It’s been a breakout season for Karolina Pliskova. The 23-year-old Czech cracked the Top 10 for the first time in her career, won the title in Prague and reached the finals in Sydney, Birmingham, Dubai and Stanford.
Now she’s capped it off with her first Emirates Airline US Open Series title.
Pliskova clinched the 2015 Series women’s title Thursday night when Petra Kvitova defeated Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals of the Connecticut Open in New Haven, Conn., eliminating Pliskova’s final remaining challenger.
Click here for the current Emirates Airline US Open Series standings.
Pliskova won the title by doubling her regular point total – achieved by scoring Series points in three separate events. She earned points with her runner-up showing at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Calif., and by advancing to the round of 16 at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati and the quarterfinals in New Haven.
That combination gave her 150 points, edging out three-time Series champion Serena Williams (145) and world No. 2 Simona Halep (140).
All three will now compete for bonus prize money at the 2015 US Open, with Pliskova earning the chance to add $1 million in bonus prize money by capturing her first Grand Slam championship in New York. Williams and Halep can add $500,000 and $250,000, respectively, with a US Open women’s singles title.
Click here to see the 2015 US Open bonus prize money schedule.
Andy Murray won the 2015 Series men's crown. Novak Djokovic finished in second place and John Isner in third.