Grand Slam champion pegs chair umpire for Gauff-Siegemund row

James Richardson 30 Aug 2023 4:45 PM

Coco Gauff gets fired up during her win over Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander believes that Laura Siegemund was not at fault for the time row that engulfed her first round loss to Coco Gauff at the US Open.

Siegemund was clearly trying to slow the match down but Wilander feels that she was only playing smart.

Instead the Swede feels that the chair umpire should have done more and earlier in the match to prevent things from getting out of hand.

“I think she [Siegemund] was trying to play a smart match, and to slow Coco Gauff down would be very smart,” Wilander said on Eurosport.

“I think it’s a fine line, and it’s the chair umpire that most probably let it go too far. She maybe should’ve warned Coco that you’re playing a bit too quickly, and have a chat with them both and say ‘hey, we’re not on time here so, Laura speed up a bit and Coco take a bit of time.

“It would have been good to have a conversation so you don’t have this sort of situation, because it seemed like it hurt both players.

“If one does it and it helps them, then maybe you can say it was a victory in a way. But when it hurts both of them, it doesn’t make any sense, so a chair umpire needs to step in earlier.”

Meanwhile Alex Corretja added that playing speed regulations have becoming confusing and the failure to use the shot clock left him bemused.

“She’s got more experience now, and maybe more confidence in herself,” Corretja said.

“I always wonder, if you have 20 seconds in between points, why do you need to follow the speed of the server? In a way, they say you have 20 seconds in between points, but it’s not true.

“You don’t have 20 seconds if the other girl is ready to serve in five seconds. Sometimes when you serve, you can go over the limit, but when you return, you need to follow the speed from your opponent. Sometimes it’s not easy and Coco was playing fast and as Mats said, Laura was trying to play her game as well.”

Wilander would add that the chair umpire should be setting the expectation for play speed if it becomes an issue.

“As the chair umpire, she could have explained as a returner, you have this much time; you have eight seconds and if you’re ready in that time then Coco Gauff can’t serve to you beforehand,” Wilander added.

“It would be something to help understand what’s going on. We have a shot clock, where is it?”