ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA swigged beer and wore a strawberry bucket hat in her press conference after being knocked out of Wimbledon.
The Russian, 34, lost 6-1 7-6 to Amanda Anisimova in the SW19 quarter-finals.
Having been visibly emotional while leaving the court, Pavlyuchenkova later rocked up to her presser with a beer in hand.
The world No50 beat Ajla Tomljanovic, Ashlyn Krueger, Naomi Osaka and Britain’s Sonay Kartal to reach the last eight.
But despite threatening a fight back during the second set, Pavlyuchenkova couldn’t get past No13 seed Anisimova.
After the match Pavlyuchenkova opened up on her struggles this year, including battling Lyme disease.
She said: “I couldn’t stop crying after the match for 20 minutes.
“I don’t know if it was (because it was) my last chance to do something big, or is it my history with not (being) sure if I will be able to even play or practise earlier this year, after Australia and even before during pre-season and all this viruses and Lyme disease.
“I’ve just been through so much this year.
“After Lyme disease I also took six weeks of antibiotics, and then I pulled my hamstring muscle just before Madrid. Every time I tried to come back, there was something always.
“I don’t know how I coped with that and have done those three weeks now, and in Eastbourne semis, and coming straight here to quarters.
“I don’t know if because of all that, just all the emotions that I have had in me. I actually have never really had that on the actual court losing the match. I just had to sit down, and I couldn’t stop crying.
“Yeah, maybe just because everything, I was through so much and had inside that it just exploded.”
Pavlyuchenkova was caught up in one of the most controversial moments of the tournament during her match with Kartal.
On game point with the experienced star serving at 4-4 in the first set, a Kartal shot clearly landed long.
But with the Hawk Eye system not being on, the point was ordered to be replayed, with Pavlyuchenkova going on to be broken.
She told umpire Nico Helwerth “Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me,” but still went on to win the match.
Read the full article here