The former world number one, the American tennis player Serena Williams, admitted tonight after being eliminated in the third round of the Premier 5 tournament in Cincinnati that she has lost the "killer" instinct she had before to define the decisive matches.

This time, the youngest of the Williams sisters let lead after lead slip away in the third-round duel she held with the young Greek Maria Sakkari, thirteenth-seeded, who after being on the verge of losing, completed a comeback that left her with the victory of 5-7, 7-6 (5) and 6-1 , in the first game that they had as professionals.

"I don't think that helps mentally, when you know that the game ended and that you could have won it, but your legs were tired and now much more," Williams declared at the end of the match that lasted two hours and 17 minutes. "It's a bad situation. It's like dating a guy you know sucks."

This was Williams' fifth match since professional tennis was resumed amid the coronavirus pandemic after a nearly six-month hiatus, and all five he has played have been 3-2 in three sets.

The result against No. 13 seed Sakkari was not promising for Serena Williams as the start of the US Open nears next week. "It's hard to play like I have done and stay positive. And playing nine hours in a week is too much. I don't usually play like that," Williams admitted.

"I literally should have won the game. There was no excuse . It was difficult, but I had many chances to win. I have to figure that out: how to start winning those games again."

The Cincinnati Premier 5, which usually takes place in Ohio, this year moved to the US Open headquarters in Flushing Meadows to create a two-tournaments "bubble" with no spectators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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