Iga Swiatek & Emma Navarro speak out on Australian Open double bounce controversy

Emma Navarro has called for VAR technology to be used more freely in tennis after falling the wrong side of a double bounce call in her Australian Open quarter-final loss.
World No 8 Navarro lost 6-1, 6-2 to second seed Iga Swiatek inside the Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday, with the five-time Grand Slam winner taking just 90 minutes to seal her place in the last four.
However, the main talking point has been a contentious double bounce call that went against Navarro early in the second set.
Swiatek won the fifth game of the second set after umpire Eva Asdareki-Moore failed to notice during a point that the ball had bounced twice before the Pole retrieved Navarro’s shot.
As Navarro continued playing the point, she was unable to challenge the decision and use the VAR technology that was first introduced at the US Open.
The VAR technology can only be used should a player immediately stop the point to challenge, or if the shot in question comes at the end of a rally.
Asked about the incident after the match, American No 3 Navarro stated her belief that players should be allowed to appeal even if they initially continue playing the point.
She said: “I think it should be allowed to see after the point even if you play. It happened so fast. 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: ‘OK, 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.
“It’s in the moment. I don’t know if she [Swiatek] knew or not. Ultimately, it’s up to the ref to make the call. It’s tough to place blame on anybody.”
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Swiatek would ultimately not drop another game after the incident and insisted that she did not know a double bounce had occurred.
“I didn’t see the replay because after the point I didn’t look up at the screens because I wanted to stay focused and didn’t want this point to stay in my head for a longer period of time,” said the world No 2.
“I wasn’t sure if it was a double bounce or I hit it with my frame. It was hard to say because I was full sprinting. I don’t remember even seeing the contact point.
“I thought this is the umpire’s job to call it. I was also waiting for the VAR, but I didn’t see it, so I just kind of proceeded.”
Swiatek will now face another American, Madison Keys, in the semi-final – with the former world No 1 looking to reach what would be a sixth Grand Slam final.
19th seed Keys rallied from a set down to beat Elina Svitolina and is now in her third Australian Open semi-final.
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