Serena Williams drew some criticism for her visible display of illness during her semifinal against Timea Bacsinszky, but not from her opponent.
"Sometimes I know that she was taking a bit more time, but I never really thought she was doing it on purpose to destabilize me," said the 25-year-old from Switzerland.
Williams asked for ice towels and appeared to be ill during various points in the match, trailing by a set and a break down before winning 10 straight games to win the semifinal match 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. She did not conduct her post-match interview because of a cough. Williams issued a statement following her match, indicating she had not been feeling well since the first week.
It is the fourth time during this year's French Open that Williams has gone three sets.
"Whether this be theatrical or not, it's part of the game," said Bacsinszky. "We have umpires and referees to evaluate if there are things that are not really fair play."