Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has accused German Laura Siegemund (32) of deliberately failing to tell about a big mistake when she met Kristina Mladenovic (27) for a match in the Grand Slam tournament Roland Garros recently.
Mladenovic led 5-1 when Siegemund hit the ball after hitting the ground twice (see video at the top of the article) – and then secured the point.
Referee Eva Asderaki did not catch the incident, and Siegemund fought back and eventually won the first set 7-5, before she decided the match 6-3 in the second set.
Both players blamed the referee after the match, and the incident has divided the tennis community. Some ask themselves the question of whether Siegemund certainly knew that the ball bounced twice before the shot.
If you know you have hit a ball after the second bounce, you should, if you are a fair tennis player, surrender the point to your opponent. The question is: Was Siegemund completely certain? On stretch, under duress, you can tell yourself what you want to hear
— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) September 29, 2020
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Former tennis star Martina Navratilova, for her part, believes that Siegemund knew it, and that she should show good sportsmanship by reporting the mistake.
– It was horrible. The referee, who is usually good, missed it. In the old days we would say no ourselves, but today it is different. Siegemund guaranteed to know that she did not hit the ball on the first bounce – it changed the match picture completely and Mladenovic knew it … a pity, Navratilova writes on Twitter.
That was awful- the ump who is usually great missed that one. And in the old days we would have called it on ourselves but these days it’s different. For sure Siegemund knew she didn’t get it on the first bounce et voilà- it totally turned the match as Mladenovic knew it… shame.
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) September 29, 2020
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– Do not understand
Mladenovic believes that tennis should have a similar video refereeing system as football has, where you can go into hindsight and change decisions.
– It would be a shame to replace a person with a camera, but it is a human error. I do not understand how the judge could not see it. Unfortunately, she will continue in Roland-Garros, but I will not, says Mladenovic after the match according to Yahoo sport.
She says that she did not expect Siegemund to tell about the error.
– Well, she would be the fairest player in the tournament if she did. Unfortunately, she did not. I did not expect her to do that, says Mladenovic.
WOW. The ball clearly bounced twice on Siegemund’s side. On SP. Asderaki didn’t see.
– José Morgado (@josemorgado) September 29, 2020
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– Difficult decision
Siegemund says that everything happened so quickly.
– If I come running at full speed, and then I say to myself: “Oh, it was a double bounce”, and then I see later on video that it was not, I would be angry with myself. So I think it was a difficult decision in that situation, says Siegemund.
– That’s what the judge is here for. I think she has a better chance than me to see exactly what happened, she continues.
The German points out that Mladenovic had many chances to win the first set, despite the controversial situation.
– I can understand her frustration. I may also understand that she is attacking me, but I think she should take the judge, says Siegemund.
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