Iga Świątek is through to the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the second time, well on her way to a maiden finals appearance.
The world no. 2 has cruised through her slate so far, yet to drop a set as she moves into the final four.
But her run hasn’t been without controversy, including one call in her quarter-final win over Emma Navarro that left the tennis world scratching their heads.
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Świątek addresses controversial call in QF win over Navarro
It was smooth sailing as far as results go for Świątek in her quarter-final win Wednesday, taking out 23-year-old Emma Navarro in straight sets, 6-1 6-2.
But there was one moment from the match that left people talking for all the wrong reasons, after the Polish star was awarded a point on a shot following a clear double bounce.
Swiatek was awarded this point.
QF of a Slam.
Terrible look for tennis pic.twitter.com/09btb28m4I
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 22, 2025
Asked about the moment after the match, Świątek refused to confirm that she knew the ball had indeed bounced twice, instead putting the onus on the game’s umpire.
“Honestly, I didn’t see the replay after this point because after the point I didn’t look up for the screens because I wanted to stay focused and didn’t want this point to stay in my head for longer period of time,” Świątek said.
“I wasn’t sure if it was a double bounce or I hit it with my frame. It was hard to say because, like, I was full sprinting. I don’t remember, like, even seeing the contact point. I don’t know.
“Sometimes you don’t really look when you hit the ball. So I wasn’t sure. I thought this is like the umpire’s kind of job to call it, you know.
“I was also waiting for the VAR, but I didn’t see it, so I just kind of proceed. I already focused on the next one.”
Navarro also conceded that the fast-paced nature of the play made it hard to properly assess what had happened, suggesting that rule changes around challenging points could be helpful in future instances similar to this.
“It happened so fast,” Navarro said.
“You hit the shot, and she hits it back, and you’re just, like, ‘Oh, I guess I’m playing’.
“In the back of your head you’re like, ‘Okay, maybe I can still win the point even though it wasn’t called. It’s going to be a downer if I stop the point and it turns out it wasn’t a double bounce’.
“It’s tough. I think we should be able to see it afterwards and make that call.”
Despite the moment, Świątek took down Navarro comfortably, and now prepares for her semi-final clash with another American, 29-year-old Madison Keys.
