Sayaka Ishii used every bit of energy she could muster as she battled through an injury in her match against Zeynep Sonmez at the Pan Pacific Open on Wednesday. She had to call for a trainer and needed to adjust the way she served due to discomfort around her abdomen. She lost the first set. She fell behind early in the final set and battled back.
When Ishii won after two gritty hours, she let everything out.
“I’m so tired, I could just drop dead,” she exclaimed after a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win that gave her a spot in the quarterfinals.
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