Two-time U.S. Open champion Venus Williams crashed out of the year's final Grand Slam as she succumbed to Sara Errani of Italy, 6-0, 0-6, 7-6 (5) on Friday.
The diminutive Italian, seeded 13th in the tournament, was two points from defeat but rallied to force a third-set tiebreaker before outlasting the 34-year old in a tight match.
Williams was two points away from a win but was unable to put away Errani due to her 52 unforced errors. She had played a doubles match on Thursday with sister Serena which finished around 8 p.m.
After the game, she acknowledged the doubles match could have caught up on her. "I guess the schedule definitely wasn't ideal," Williams said via ESPN. "It was just such a late match."
But she credited her tormentor for dealing her another loss, one that prevented her from reaching the fourth round of a major for the third consecutive year.
"I went for too much," Williams said, who had won her first three matches against Errani. "She just played one of the best matches of her life."
Errani utilized her quickness to overwhelm Williams, and the 34-year old looked tired for much of the match. The Italian was gracious enough to complement her opponent, saying: "Even if I won the first set 6-love, she's an amazing player."
Errani added:"She's playing unbelievable. I really don't know how I won today."
But she acknowledged, too, that it was her resolve that made her win the match, saying: "I was ready to just fight."
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