World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has commented on the incident where she photographed a mark on the court during her Stuttgart quarterfinal match against Elise Mertens, and the umpire`s reaction to it.
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 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 such a meaningful look and a very firm handshake. I have not 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.
