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The Greek was the favourite heading into her encounter with
18-year-old qualifier Emma Raducanu on Arthur Ashe Stadium but
was totally outplayed, losing in straight sets, struggling on
serve and putting up 33 unforced errors.
Sakkari lost to Czech Barbora Krejcikova in the French Open semi
in June, a nail-biting three-setter.
"I probably didn't handle it the right way, playing a second
semi-final again this year. I had bad memories from my last one
and I think I did not handle it the right way," Sakkari told
reporters.
"Things don't go your way most of the times. You just have to
accept that."
She came up short at Flushing Meadows but she has much to be
proud of, beating former champion Bianca Andreescu in a
gruelling three hour, 30 minute fourth-round match and defeating
world number four Karolina Pliskova in the quarters.
"I'm a person that I'll go back home and I'll start working hard
again because I'm having the best season of my life," she added.
"I still have very good chances of finishing where I want to
finish this season no matter what happened here.
"It's just that I have to keep believing in myself, keep doing
what I'm doing."
She offered words of praise for Raducanu, the first qualifier to
reach a Grand Slam final, and her opponent in the decider,
19-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez.
"It's huge what she has accomplished. They are both young. They
play fearless. They have nothing to lose playing against us,"
she said. "They're out there fighting for that title. Very well
done to both for getting here."
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
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