WTA: Top 5 upsets of the year 2013
“It is probably one of my best wins, but best games? I don’t think so. I have had some beautiful losses.” If the above words from emerging Latvian star Ernests Gulbis are anything to go by, some of the best matches of the year necessarily comprise some of the biggest ‘upsets’ as well. In a year that saw Marion Bartoli emerge as winner on the lush green lawns of the All England Club at Wimbledon, the WTA circuit also witnessed some striking upsets that shook the tennis fraternity.
PARIS, FRANCE – MAY 30: Na Li of China congratulates Bethanie Mattek-Sands of United States of America on victory in their Women’s Singles match
5)Bethanie Mattek-Sands defeats Li Na at the French Open
2011 Champion and 6th seed Li Na was ousted by the heavily tattooed, funky, vibrant American, Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the second round at Roland Garros. Who would have thought? Not too many. Asia’s only Grand Slam champion, Li Na, went down fighting after rain delays forced the match to go on for longer than usual, and in the end Mattek-Sands retained her composure to emerge as the deserving winner.
Li took the first set 7-5 and when the rain came pelting down during the second set, not many expected the American to stage a dramatic comeback. But Bethanie fought, and fought hard, winning seven consecutive games to take the second set and make it 5-0 in the decider. Perhaps, the fall Li Na endured at the Australian Open earlier this year, and the subsequent recovery had its repercussions on the veteran’s form and led to her disappointing exit. However, for Bethanie Mattek-Sands, it was a dream victory over the 2011 French Open Champion and one of the biggest upsets of the year.