"When I sat down after the match, there was a tear in my eye"- When Zina Garrison felt sad on beating Chris Evert in her final Grand Slam match

Chris Evert enjoyed a stellar tennis career, including 18 singles Grand Slam titles, which came to an end in 1989. Her final Grand Slam appearance came at the 1989 US Open, where she was seeded fourth.

Evert booked her place in the quarterfinals with straight-set wins over Bettina Fulco, Elise Burgin, Patricia Tarabini and Monica Seles. She faced fifth-seeded Zina Garrison in the last eight and the latter beat her 7-6(1), 6-2. This was one of only two instances when Evert exited the US Open before the semifinals.

The former World No. 1 said after the match that she was disappointed with the way she played. She also claimed that the numerous matches she played throughout her career had finally caught up with her.

"I'm not disappointed that this was my last match at the U.S. Open, but in isolating the match I'm disappointed in how I played it. I played a great match two days ago and today I was flat. That's the way it's been all year. That's why it's time to say goodbye. Mentally, playing so many matches in my career has finally caught up to me," Chris Evert said.

Zina Garrison reached her second straight semifinal at the US Open in 1989 but wasn't too happy about the win. The American stated that she felt sad after beating Evert as the latter was someone she admired.

"At least I'll be remembered. The crowd was getting really loud. My stomach started to feel sick. I remembered back to last year against Martina when I tightened up and I decided I was just going to go for the serve, and it worked. It felt really sad, beating a champion who we'll never get to see here again," Zina Garrison said.

Garrison also mentioned that she was teary-eyed after the match ended.

"Chris is someone I've always admired. She was always such a lady on the court. When I sat down after the match there was a tear in my eye," she added.

Chris Evert won 18 Grand Slam singles titles

Chris Evert at the 2018 WTA Finals

Chris Evert enjoyed a magnificent Grand Slam career during which she won 18 Major singles titles. The American's first Major triumph came at the 1974 French Open, which she won without dropping a single set. Evert won the clay-court Major seven times, a record in women's tennis.

She won the Australian Open only twice in 1982 and 1984, while triumphing at Wimbledon thrice. The former World No. 1 won six US Open titles, an Open Era record which she shares with Serena Williams.