Coco Gauff says it’s “ridiculous” that tennis doesn’t have a video review system, after an on-court argument with the referee during her 6-2, 6-4 loss to Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals of the Open. France.
The Polish world number one will seek her third consecutive title here at Roland Garros on Saturday against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, who beat 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-1.
For Gauff, 20, it was an afternoon of frustration and fury in Paris. The flashpoint came when Gauff was trying to get back into the match, leading 2-1 in the second set on Swiatek’s serve.
Swiatek’s second serve was called back just as Gauff made her long return. But when the referee overturned the decision and awarded the point to Swiatek, Gauff angrily insisted that she return it after the ball had already been called, so the point should have been replayed.
Asked by Mail Sport after the match whether tennis should look to introduce a video review system to re-evaluate close decisions like this, Gauff was adamant.
Coco Gauff was left crying after rowing with the referee in her French Open semi-final loss
Iga Swiatek’s second serve was called back just as Gauff made her long return, sparking the dispute.
“One hundred percent,” he said. “I think tennis is the only sport in which not only do we not have the virtual reality system, but many times the decisions are made by a single person. In other sports there are usually several referees making a decision.
‘I definitely think at this point it’s almost ridiculous that we don’t have it. I’m not talking because that happened to me, but I think all sports have it. Also, there are so many decisions made and as a player, it sucks to go back or be online and you see that you were absolutely right, and it’s like, what does that do for you at that moment?
“I definitely think that as a sport we have to evolve and we have the technology. They are broadcasting it on television, so I don’t understand why the player can’t see it.”
The on-court argument with referee Aurelie Tourte left Gauff wiping away tears. ‘He called and then I hit him. “I’m one hundred percent sure,” said the American.
“For me it didn’t affect your shot,” Tourte responded.
‘If he called him before I hit him, I stop my reaction. I didn’t even finish my follow-up. He called him before I hit him. Will you ask him?
“No, we can’t ask him.”
The crowd was booing enthusiastically at this point, a Pavlovian reaction from fans here whenever an incident occurs.
“They’re booing because you’re wrong,” Gauff said.
“For me it didn’t affect the shot.”
‘You’re wrong. It’s the second time it happens. You should be ashamed. “It’s a Grand Slam semi-final, know the rules of the game.”
Gauff furiously insisted that he make his return after the ball had already been called.
The American, seeded third in Paris, was defeated 6-2, 6-4 by world number 1, Iga Swiatek.
So who was right? Replays suggest the decision occurred at the same instant Gauff played the return off of him. That makes it marginal and very harsh of Tourte not to have given Gauff the benefit of the doubt.
Gauff ended up breaking that game to take a 3-1 lead, but Swiatek won the next four games in a row and cruised to a comfortable victory.
Their head-to-head is now 11-1 in favor of the Pole and based on this evidence, it’s hard to see Gauff improving that any time soon.
The problem in a one-on-one sport like tennis is that when one player’s natural game doesn’t match that of another, they are forced to leave their comfort zone and that can almost swing the match even further the other way. .
Both players like to react and run, wearing down their opponents with controlled aggression. And Gauff is better at that style of play than any other player in the world, with one unfortunate exception.
Then Gauff came out here and tried to knock Swiatek off Philippe Chatrier, like Naomi Osaka almost did in the second round. But that was Osaka playing her natural game; this was Gauff overreaching.
Their head-to-head is now 11-1 in favor of the Pole as Gauff continues to fight her.
The first two points of the match saw her hit two very long forehands and that, unfortunately, predicted the rest of the set.
The result was that Swiatek was able to settle into no-miss mode and wait for his opponent to hand him the set. The 23-year-old finished the first set with two winners, four forced errors and five unforced errors; It is surely the first time she has won a set 6-2 with such modest statistics. Gauff had 12 winners but 11 forced errors and 18 unforced errors.
So, of the 31 points Swiatek needed to take the first set, 29 came courtesy of Gauff errors.
Gauff improved in the second set. She was more selective in her aggression and focused more on depth than power, pinning Swiatek at times. But the number of unforced errors was still too high and the match ended, as it had begun, with Gauff’s forehand flying long.
So Swiatek is moving toward what everyone hopes will be a fourth French Open title in five years. Paolini is a brave and consistent player and last year he went from being outside the top 50 in the world to the top 10.
But, like Gauff, he lacks the heavy artillery to penetrate the force field that seems to envelop Swiatek every time he sets foot on this court.