Fierce competitor Serena Williams showed her softer side when consoling a teary-eyed Dayana Yastremska after vanquishing the Ukrainian in straight sets in the Australian Open 2019 round of 32 at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday.
Twenty-three-time Grand Slam champion Williams made short work of 18-year-old Yastremska, dropping just three games to win 6-2, 6-1 and cruise into the round of 16, but the nature of the defeat against her childhood "idol" in Melbourne reduced the youngster to tears upon the match's conclusion.
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Sixteenth-seed Williams, whose seven title wins Down Under is an open era record, later told press how the tears of Yastremska “broke her heart”.
"As she was walking towards the net, I could tell [Yastremska] was quite upset," the 37-year-old Williams said.
"I kind of liked that. It shows she wasn't just there to play a good match, she was there to win. She wanted to win. That really broke my heart. I think she's a good talent. It's good to see that attitude," she added.
Williams, who kept on course to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam, will now face Romanian world number one Simona Halep in the last 16.
Yastremska seemed to eventually take the defeat on the chin, posting on Instagram: "Learned here in Australian Open a great lesson for the future to come. The season has just started!"
She also shared a touching Instagram story of the moment she was hugged by Williams, with the caption: "I took huge experience, next time, I'm gonna use it!"