Tennis
Aryna Sabalenka gets phone out mid-match in very peculiar scenes as umpire ‘p*****’
Aryna Sabalenka booked her spot in the Stuttgart Open semi-finals by cruising past Elise Mertens in a 6-4 6-1 victory on Saturday. However, the world No. 1’s triumph didn’t come without controversy after a disagreement over a line call sparked a spat involving chair umpire Miriam Bley.
Sabalenka outclassed Mertens in their 11th meeting after facing a prolonged wait to start her campaign in Germany. She was slated to face Anastasia Potapova in the second round before the Russian’s withdrawal, yet that didn’t prevent her from displaying dominance on Centre Court. But there was an edgy moment between Sabalenka and the chair umpire as the pair argued over a line call the former believed was incorrect.
&w=400&resize=400,240&ssl=1 "Novak Djokovic decides against playing in Italian Open as French Open preparations take another blow")
&w=80&resize=80,80&ssl=1 "Novak Djokovic decides against playing in Italian Open as French Open preparations take another blow")
