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Navarro urges rule change after double-bounce furore in Melbourne / Photo: © AFP
Navarro urges rule change after double-bounce furore in Melbourne
Emma Navarro called for a change in the rules Wednesday after being unable to challenge a double bounce against her as Iga Swiatek moved into the Australian Open semi-finals.
The American eighth seed was miffed when she requested the chair umpire use video replay technology (VAR) to check what happened.
But she was turned down after waiting until the end of the point, rather than stopping play and asking right away.
"I think it should be allowed to see after the point even if you play," she said.
The incident happened as Swiatek was serving at 2-2 in the second set.
Navarro played a mid-rally drop shot that forced the world number two into a desperate slide to get the ball, which she thought she did, until replays showed it bounced twice.
Swiatek held serve to move 3-2 clear and then broke for 4-2, winning the match 6-1, 6-2.
"It happened so fast," Navarro said of the contentious moment.
"You hit the shot, and she hits it back, and you're just, like, 'Oh, I guess I'm playing'.
"In the back of your head you're like, 'Okay, maybe I can still win the point even though it wasn't called. It's going to be a downer if I stop the point and it turns out it wasn't a double bounce'.
"It's tough. I think we should be able to see it afterwards and make that call."
Polish second seed Swiatek maintained she did not know whether the ball had bounced twice.
"I wasn't sure if it was a double bounce or I hit it with my frame (of the racquet). It was hard to say because I was full sprinting," said the five-time Grand Slam champion.
"I don't remember even seeing the contact point. I don't know. Sometimes you don't really look when you hit the ball.
"I thought this is like the umpire's kind of job to call it. I was also waiting for the VAR, but I didn't see it, so I just kind of proceeded."
Navarro admitted it made little difference ultimately against a player in ruthless form.
"I felt like I moved on, and next game I was ready to play. I thought the next two games I played pretty good," she said.
"Wasn't able to convert a couple of points. But you know, I didn't feel a huge momentum shift."
S. Alves--JDB
