Incredible the joy and the relieve, both for Sonja and for all the Dutch. For Sonja this is the absolute high of her whole tennis carreer and a reward for all the effort that she put into it and all the disappointments that she overcame, and that were quite a few.
"I wasn't very nervous" Sonja told after the match "and I had a good feeling during the match. Specially after I won the first set, because of all the three sets wins I had, I always won the first set.
>From the grandstands things did not look that easy though. Sonja took a quick 3-1 lead, but Danni came back to 3-3. At 5-4 Sonja did not score three setpoints, but at 6-5 she finished it of: the first set in the pocket at 7-5.
Danni came back strongly in the second set, took a 5-2 lead, but now Sonja came from behind, even had break points at 4-5, but lost the set 4-6. What was the third set going to bring? Even mother Mieke, who usually watched the game from a large distance because of her nerves now was cheering on Sonja aloud. Sonja took again a 3-1 lead, just as in the first set, again Danni made it 3-3. But from there on Sonja took command and finished it off 6-3.
Sonja and all of us went out of our heads from joy. And Mieke even more, because she will get a dog (Cavalier King Charlles) that will be named Sydney. Sonja was very very pleased with your suppport, so will you pleeeaaaaaase once more keep all your fingers, toes and whatever other parts crossed on Saturday night. If you are that far, so why should you not want to win the gold, is Sonja's opinion. And isn't that your opinion too??????????
Warm greetings from a bright and shining Athens