"Took quite a lot of time in between the points, I thought it was not fair"- When Jelena Jankovic commented on losing US Open final to Serena Williams

Serena Williams won her third US Open title in 2008 by beating Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 7-5 in the final.

Seeded fourth in the tournament, Williams did not drop a single set en route to claiming her ninth Grand Slam singles title. After the match, Jelena Jankovic was asked about the second set in her press conference. She claimed that Serena Williams was tired and was taking too much time in between points, something she thought was not fair.

Jankovic also claimed that time violation rules were different for Williams. She cited her own example when she received a violation when going to take the towel in her semifinal against Elena Dementieva.

"I felt her - she was tired and I really had my chances. I really, you know, was a little bit upset about the umpire, you know, not - she took quite a lot of time in between the points, and I thought it was not fair," the Serb said in her post-match press conference.

"Because when I played against, you know, against Dementieva and I just went to take the towel, I received a towel, a time violation. So I think it should be for all the players. If she goes and takes more than 15 seconds - and not once - many times. She took her time to recover and get back herself together," she added.

Jankovic also said that she had her chances during the second set and allowed Serena Williams to come back into it and take the match.

"You know, but maybe it wouldn't make a difference, maybe it would. But you can, you know, talk all day about this. I lost; she won. That's, of course, what counts," Jankovic said.

"I let it go. I had it. I had, you know, a lot, lot of chances. Second set I had a lot of set points and I didn't do the right things. You know, I let her come back into that set and win it in two," she concluded.

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Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic locked horns on 14 occasions

Serena Williams at the US Open 2022

Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic squared off against each other on 14 occasions, with the American leading 10-4 in the head-to-head.

Their first encounter came in the second round of the 2004 Acura Classic in San Diego, with Williams winning 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-2. Jankovic went on to win the next couple of meetings between them.

They locked horns in three Grand Slam matches, and Serena Williams won two of them. The only time Jankovic beat the American in a Slam was in the quarterfinals of the 2008 Australian Open, triumphing 6-3, 6-4. The two faced each other in four finals, with Williams coming out on top on each occasion.

The last match between Williams and Jankovic came in the quarterfinals of the 2014 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, and the former won 6-1, 6-3.