Tennis star Serena Williams was knocked out of the Western & Southern Open by Greek sensation Maria Sakkari, who rallied from a set down to beat the 23-times Grand Slam champion 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-1 and reach the quarter-finals.
“I knew it was going to be an ugly match from my side but I’m extremely happy with the result,” Sakkari said. “She’s a role model for me and many others. What she has achieved in our sport is unique and I don’t know if anyone else is going to do it again.”
But Serena saw things a bit differently and offered no dignity to her opponent, nor to herself, in remarks she gave in an interview.
After letting lead after lead slip away, she claims she started getting cramps in her weary legs on the way to her surprising loss against the 21st in the world ranked Greek.
“I don’t think that helps mentally, when you know the match is over and you won the match, and now your legs were already tried and now they’re even more tired,” Williams said. “I put myself in a bad situation.
“It’s like dating a guy that you know sucks,” Williams said about her match with Sakkari.
The Western & Southern Open is usually held in Ohio but was moved to the U.S. Open’s site in Flushing Meadows this year to make for a two-event, no-spectator “bubble” during the pandemic.
