World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka discussed the incident where she photographed a mark on the court during her Stuttgart quarterfinal match against Elise Mertens, as well as the umpire`s reaction to her action.
In the first set, after losing a game on her serve, the Belarusian player disputed a call made by umpire Miriam Bley. Following Sabalenka`s shot, the ball was called out, giving Mertens a double break point. However, Sabalenka was convinced the ball had landed on the line.
She asked Bley to double-check the mark, but the umpire refused, stating that the point was already over. Sabalenka then took out her phone and photographed the mark.
“When I shook hands with the umpire, it seemed to me that she was angry because of my photo. There was a meaningful look and a very firm handshake. I haven`t encountered this before,” Sabalenka said in an on-court interview.
– Did you respond in kind?
– No, everything is fine. Why would I play these games? Everything is okay,” Sabalenka replied.
