By Erik Gudris | Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Laura Siegemund rallied from a 1-5 deficit, defeating Kristina Mladenovic after a controversial non-call on a double bounce on set point in their Roland Garros opener.
Photo credit: Roland Garros Facebook
Germany’s Laura Siegemund reached the second round of Roland Garros after a controversial non-call on a double bounce during set point in the first set.
Siegemund defeated France’s Kristina Mladenovic 7-5, 6-3 in their first-round meeting on Tuesday.
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Mladenovic raced out to a 5-1 lead in the first set. On set point, Siegemund chased down a drop shot near the net that bounced twice.
Umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore did not call the double bounce to the dismay of Mladenovic.
Despite that missed call, Mladenovic, a former Roland-Garros quarterfinalist, would go on to hold six more set points. But the Frenchwoman would not covert on any of them, and that allowed Siegemund to climb back to 5-all.
Soon, Siegemund closed out the set 7-5 after Mladenovic hit a forehand wide while down set point.
In her press conference, Mladenovic was asked about the double bounce and if she felt if Siegemund should have called it herself. Mladenovic stated that it was still up to the umpire to make the call.
“Well, she would have been the best and most fair player on the tour if she would have done that,” Mladenovic said with a smile. “Unfortunately, she didn't. I didn't expect her to do it. But if she would have done it, she would have all my respect and be super-fair play. Yeah, this thing didn't happen. But she's not the one responsible. I think the chair umpire is the one that should be really focused on that call.”
Siegemund said calling this double bounce was the chair umpire’s job.
“I mean, it depends on the situation. If it's a close call and it's a set point against you, I think it's the umpire's responsibility,” Siegemund said. “If in that call, I'm coming running full speed, if in that call I say, Oh, it was a double bounce, and later I see on the video it was not, I would be angry at myself.
“So I think in that situation, that was a close call. I mean, we're not talking about a mark that was called wrong and it's, like, obvious. I think that's what the umpire is there for. She's sitting right there. I think she has better chances than me to see what has happened exactly.”
The sequence of events for the former World No. 10 Mladenovic must have seemed similar for her as she lost a substantial lead at the US Open a few weeks earlier. Mladenovic, In her second round match against Varvara Gracheva, led 6-1, 5-1, before Gracheva came back to win 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-0. Mladenovic later cited extreme stress due to being in strict quarantine for the tournament as a factor in the loss.
In this match, Mladenovic appeared to shrug off the first-set disappointment. She stayed closed with Siegemund in the second set by fighting off several break points to level for 3-all. Yet, Siegemund, with her strong forehand and crafty play up at net, would again take the advantage.
Siegemund, holding another break point later at 4-3, hit a volley winner to go ahead 5-3. The German, who won her biggest title in Stuttgart in 2017 by defeating Mladenovic in that final, then served for the match.
Siegemund did not waver in closing out the victory. On match point, Siegemund struck yet another forehand winner to seal the 7-5, 6-3 win that put her into the second round.
After the match, fans and players took to social media to debate if Siegemund should have called the double bounce herself and if Hawk-Eye should be allowed on clay courts as a review for these kinds of situations.
Siegemund will next play either Julia Goerges or the 19th seed Alison Riske.