“I'm still kind of speechless. I can't actually believe I won this tournament,” she said after the match.
The win was historic for not only Stosur, who won her first Grand Slam of her career, but also for her home country of Australia, which claimed its first US Open women’s title since Margaret Court won in 1973.
Williams started the match struggling to get her first serve in, a trend that continued the entire match. Not having to fight off the Williams serve, often one of Serena's biggest weapons, Stosur was able to control the first set. She did not look rattled at all to be playing on Ashe or against the crowd favorite Serena Williams. Stosur took the final 12 points of the first set, cruising to a 6–2 victory in 31 minutes.
The first game of the second set caused quite a stir at Ashe. After hitting an ace and extending the game to 30–40, Williams yelled “Come on!” after hitting what she thought was a winner. The umpire penalized her a point for interference, because she yelled prior to the play being over. Williams argued the call but the ruling stood, costing her the game. After the match she dodged all questions about the call other than to say, “I thought it was a clear winner.”
Stosur was able to compose herself, claiming the last four games in a row, and her first Grand Slam title.
Despite her unsportsmanlike conduct during the match, Williams sat down next to the Stosur after the match and congratulated her. “I was really surprised to see her sitting next to me at that moment in time. I guess it shows what a nice person she is and what a true champion she is of the sport.”
After receiving congratulations from her opponent, Stosur jumped up to the box seats where her family and team of coaches and friends were waiting. “To be able to celebrate that moment with everyone who's been supporting me through these two weeks and throughout a lot of my career was a fantastic feeling.”
Stosur will continue to celebrate as she heads back to Australia. Williams, however, is facing a possible fine and suspension for her outburst against the umpire after the lost point in the second set.
A statement released by the USTA said that she was issued a code violation for her comments directed at the chair umpire and a review would be made by Tournament Referee Brian Earley to decide if a fine would be issued and how much. A decision will be made tomorrow.
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