Navarro looks back at the video incident: "It's hard to hold a grudge against anyone in particular"

Adrien Guyot

le 22/01/2025 à 10h28

2 min to read

Navarro Open d'Australie Swiatek

Emma Navarro was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.

The American, ranked 8th in the world, could do nothing against Iga Swiatek (6-1, 6-2), undoubtedly blunted by her first four rounds in which she expended a great deal of energy.

Nevertheless, the match was marked by a point in the second set that was awarded to Iga Swiatek after a double rebound.

Navarro continued the point before asking the chair umpire for a video.

However, she was unable to consult the replay of the ball, as the point continued and according to the rules, players must stop immediately to be able to make use of the technology.

At the press conference, Emma Navarro looked back on this moment as the turning point of the second set, as Swiatek went on to win the last three games of the match.

"I didn't stop the point. I played the next shot, and that's why I wasn't able to consult the video. I think it would be better to have the opportunity to review the point even if we keep playing, because everything goes so fast.

I asked the referee if I could review the point, and she said I couldn't because I didn't stop. You play your shot, she sends the ball back to you, and you tell yourself the point goes on.

You know, in the back of my mind, I said to myself that, despite everything, maybe I'd have won the point if I'd played it all the way to the end," Navarro began.

"It's a bit depressing to have to stop in the middle of the point. And then, if you stop and ask for the video, it's possible that the ball didn't bounce twice.

So it's difficult. As I said, we should be able to watch the replay even at the end of a point. I don't know if Iga knew about this or not.

But in the end, it's up to the chair umpire to make a decision. It's hard to blame anyone in particular, it's a delicate choice to make.

The rules should be different because we should be able to review the footage to make a definitive decision," said the 23-year-old.