"Danielle Collins would be proud" - Tennis fans amused at Aryna Sabalenka thinking she won US Open semifinal vs Madison Keys mid-match
Aryna Sabalenka came back from a set down to beat American 17th seed Madison Keys in the 2023 US Open semifinals. Despite Keys serving for the match in the second set, Sabalenka ended up defeating the 2017 runner-up 0-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (10-5) and advancing to her second Grand Slam final.
But there was an amusing moment during the third set tie-break at 7-6(7-3), as Sabalenka thought she had won the match already. She even tossed her racquet in celebration, but reality quickly set in.
Tennis fans found the incident hilarious and took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their feelings. One user stated that they knew it was going to happen:
"I knew she was going to do that. lol Loved it. Credit for getting back to business after realizing the mistake."
Another user said they did a mental revision about the fact that the final set tie-break in a Grand Slam tournament lasts until 10 points, right before Sabalenka appeared to be confused as well.
"I actually did a mental revision before the point like “Okay, final set tiebreak is until 10 points in a slam, right? Right.” And then she goes and does this," the user wrote.
According to another fan, Danielle Collins would be "proud" of the situation. Collins also prematurely celebrated victory in a tie-break at the Australian Open earlier this year.
"Danielle Collins would be proud," the user tweeted.
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
"Going into this final, I have to focus on myself and prepare myself for another fight" - Aryna Sabalenka
The 2023 US Open final will pit Aryna Sabalenka against Coco Gauff, a home favorite. The two have faced each other five times on the WTA tour, with Gauff holding a 3-2 head-to-head advantage.
That said, the Belarusian won their most recent meeting, in the 2023 Indian Wells quarterfinals.
Sabalenka spoke highly of Gauff in her on-court interview after her semifinal win. She also promised to fight and play at her best in the final on Saturday.
"She improved a lot. So it's a different player. Going into this final, I think I just have to focus on myself and prepare myself for another fight," Aryna Sabalenka said.
"No matter what, just keep fighting and keep playing my best and do my best. What else can you do? You just have to be there and you have to fight for it," she added.