It’s not easy taking on a legendary tennis player like Venus Williams, but Ecuadoran-born Irina Falconi gave it a great shot at the US Open this evening. She lost in three sets, but not before giving the crowd a great match. Falconi has made a comeback in the last few years after seeing her ranking fall a few years ago. She’s having a solid year and playing tough tennis one Grand Slam event after another. Tonight she showed some real grit when she was down and out in the second set and came back to win the set in a difficult tiebreaker.
The diminutive Falconi (she’s 5’4″ compared to the 6’1″ Williams) showed that height isn’t always as much of an advantage as it’s cracked up to be. Irina is writing a blog for ESPN about the Open and giving tennis fans a behind the scenes perspective on what it’s like to take on a tennis legend. Here’s a little bit of what she had to say:
So, big match tonight. Almost like a dream, some would say. Just coming to New York City is a big deal. Going and watching the US Open is a spectacle. Playing in the US Open is a privilege. But playing on Arthur Ashe? Against a former champion? That’s what you call a DREAM and an HONOR.