The Rio Games marked Williams’ fourth – and likely last – Olympics.
Advertisement
“The better player today won but I know next time is going to be a really good match and I look forward to it”.
Williams had beaten Svitolina in their previous four matches.
Williams was visibly frustrated throughout the match as she struggled to find her range, making 37 unforced errors compared to 17 by Svitolina.
“It didn’t work out the way I wanted it to, ” Williams said. That was one of my goals.
All Williams’ achievements made Svitolina cautious to count her out, even as the American was sailing backhands past the baseline, dumping forehands into the net and serving erratically at two-thirds her usual speed.
The Williams’ were also one of the biggest favorites for the gold in doubles – but Serena and Venus Williams won’t be topping the podium together at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
While Williams will now turn to preparations for the U.S. Open, assuming she’s healthy enough to play, Svitolina will have another tough task awaiting her in the quarterfinals against the hard-hitting Petra Kvitova on Wednesday.
Williams will continue her assault on a fifth career Olympic gold when she faces Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.
For the first time in her Olympic career, world number one Serena Williams will be heading home without a medal.
“I was expecting that I could play well”.
The 21-year-old now has her sights set on the biggest prize, saying: ‘ For me the Olympics is just unreal. However, she did accept defeat and believed that the greater player won the match.
I tried not to think about playing Serena, the Olympic champion and (winner of) so many Grand Slams.
“I’m really happy I could take risks, ” Svitolina said.
The 34-year-old Williams cut short her media commitments after the loss, speaking only to the official broadcasters before she returned to the changing rooms. But it’s unreal, it’s just the flawless moment. As for the women’s doubles, she and her sister Venus lost the game as well.
Meanwhile, the woman Kerber beat for her Melbourne Park triumph became the second top-ranked tennis player to fall in a shocking upset in Rio.
After 45 minutes, she was up a set and a break at 2-1 in the second.
‘Even at that moment I didn’t expect that I could win. On her final serve, with yet another double fault, Williams opened her arms as if to gesture, “What can I do?”
Advertisement
“I also thought she may be injured but I tried not to think about it too much”.
