Coco Gauff stressed the need for tennis to use a Video Review (VR) system, after being reduced to tears following a debate with the chair umpire over a controversial call in her French Open semi-final defeat by Iga Swiatek on Thursday.
The American third seed, who won the US Open in September for her first Grand Slam title, missed a return on Swiatek’s serve at 2-1 up in the second set as a line judge called ‘out’, but the decision was reversed by the chair umpire Aurlie Tourte who disagreed with her argument that her shot was affected in the process.
“He called it and then I hit it. I’m a thousand per cent sure,” Gauff raged. “If he called it before I hit it, I stop my reaction. I didn’t even finish my follow-through.”
Tourte was adamant the call did not affect Gauff’s shot.
“You’re wrong,” insisted Gauff. “It’s the second time that happened. You should be ashamed. It’s a Grand Slam semi-final, know the rules of the game.”
Gauff wiped away tears at the baseline after the decision was reversed by the chair umpire
The 20-year-old wiped away tears at the baseline before regrouping to break Swiatek, but could not stop the top seed from clinching a 6-2 6-4 win.
“I think it was just overwhelming. Obviously, I’m losing the match,” Gauff told reporters.
“When you’re playing against her every point matters… against anybody, but especially against her. I think it was just one of those moments, but I overcame it. I won that game.
“So I usually don’t get too frustrated with decisions like that, but I think it was just a combination of everything going on in the moment.”
Gauff is not the first player to call for technology to help officials, as Briton Cameron Norrie said video replays should be in use after he got away with a double bounce during his second round victory over Lucas Pouille at Roland Garros last year.
The US Open became the first Grand Slam to use the system at last year’s tournament with video reviews generating positive feedback at the various ATP events at which it is used.
“I think tennis is the only sport where not only we don’t have the VR system, but a lot of times the decisions are made by one person,” Gauff said.
“I know the US Open brought some of it last year. I know we used it in our doubles at one point. I definitely think it’s almost ridiculous we don’t have it. Not just speaking because that happened to me, but I just think every sport has it.
“Also, there are so many decisions that are made, and it sucks as a player to go back or online and you see that you were completely right, and it’s like, what does that give you in that moment?
“In situations you can call for the supervisor, but there’s not much they can do from that standpoint. I definitely think as a sport we have to evolve, and we have the technology. They’re showing it on TV, so I don’t get why the player can’t see it.”
Swiatek said there would be other challenges associated with replays. “Honestly, I don’t know how it would look logistically,” the world No 1 said.
“When can you ask an umpire to call a video replay or when is it up to her to do that. Because I think the umpire today was pretty sure with her call.
“So I don’t know how that would look like.”
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