Agla Tomljanovic said the victory over Serena Williams felt “surreal” and noted that she regretted being the one who ended America’s incredible career. On Friday night in New York, Tomljanovic defeated Williams 7-5 6-7 (4) 6-1 to advance to the last 16 of the US Open.
This was the first meeting between Tomljanovic and Williams. “Well, I’m really sorry just because I love Serena Williams just as much as you guys do. And what you did for me, for the sport of tennis, is incredible.
“I never thought I would have a chance to play her in her last match,” Tomljanovic said.
Tomljanovic after beating Williams: The greatest of all time
“This is a surreal moment for me. I thought it would beat me.”
No pressure on me. It’s Serena. Until the last point, I knew she was in a really good position to win, even when she was down 5-1. I didn’t know how many match points I needed to finish, but that’s just it.
Tomljanovic explained that she is the greatest of all time. “The thing is, I lost that second set not by doing too many mistakes. I played great. I couldn’t stay long. I know if I don’t focus for two seconds, you will run away with this third set.”
Tomljanovic recovered from trailing 4–0 in the second set to force a tiebreaker, which she eventually lost and eventually entered the match. After winning the second set, Williams broke Tomljanovic in the first game of the third set.
Tomljanovic responded with impressive style, claiming three consecutive breaks to lead 5-1. In the seventh inning, Williams saved five game points before Tomljanovic finally took his sixth game point for a three-set win. Tomljanovic plays with Lyudmila Samsonova next.
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