Serena finds humor in surprising loss to Sakkari

Usually after a tough loss, players in press are down, tight-lipped and edgy. Serena Williams is no different but on Tuesday after a 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-1 loss to Maria Sakkari she managed to crack an unexpected smile.

After leading for the entire match and even going up 4-1 in the tiebreaker, the win was on Serena's racquet. Instead, Sakkari made the most of her opportunities and ran away with the third set while Serena mostly just looked upset to still be on court.

"I literally put myself in this situation," she said. "It's like dating a guy that you know sucks. That's literally what I keep doing out here. It's like I have got to get rid of this guy. It just makes no sense. It's frustrating. Yes, I was obviously cramping, but that's no excuse. I can't sit here and make excuses."

To her credit, Sakkari never gave up and the 25-year-old was rewarded with a milestone win over her idol.

"Obviously there was something going on with her," the Greek said. "I tried to not just to make balls and to make it physical. Just basically to make it physical and fight. That's it."

Next she'll take on Johanna Konta, while Serena will regroup ahead of the US Open's start on Monday.