It may not have been an upset in the same league as the U.S. Open but what happened at the Australian Open on Saturday perhaps wasn't far off.
Angelique Kerber stunned Serena Williams in a 6-4 3-6 6-4 thriller to open her grand slam account and deprive the American of a historic 22nd title at a major that would have tied Steffi Graf for the Open Era lead.
Just how rare is it for Williams to lose a grand slam final?
She had won her last eight and was 21-4 overall.
And after Kerber upset Williams in Cincinnati in 2012, the world No. 1 reeled off four consecutive victories against the German without conceding a set.
The result followed Williams' defeat to Roberta Vinci in New York in September, one of the biggest upsets of all time in tennis, and one can't help but ponder if nerves are now getting to the 34-year-old in the most pivotal matches.
Maybe it was simply meant to be for the left-handed Kerber, who became the first German to win a grand slam since her idol Graf in 1999. She saved a match point in the first round against Misaki Doi.
Kerber sunk to her knees when Williams erred on a forehand volley long on match point and soon was in tears to end an evening that was marked by the latter's plethora of unforced errors in the first set but turned into an absorbing two-hour affair.
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