“Chair umpires calling lets has worked well at major events around the world, including Roland-Garros, Davis Cup and the Olympics, and we have confidence in the process,” tournament referee Wayne McKewen said.
But realistically, umpiring decisions aren’t what cost Navarro a semi-final spot. Swiatek won convincingly, 6-1, 6-2. The Polish star is yet to drop a set at this tournament, and has only conceded 14 games so far.
Swiatek will play American Madison Keys in one of Thursday’s semi-final matches. Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa will battle for the other final spot.
Keys defeated Elina Svitolina in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, bouncing back from an initially concerning scoreline in the first set.
“I started a little flat today,” Keys said. “I think that I was trying to be aggressive and set the point up, but I wasn’t necessarily taking advantage of the balls that I was getting.”
“In the second set I just started trying to get to the net a lot more, and take advantage of some of the short balls that I was getting … I feel like I ran with the momentum after that.”
The 29-year-old will now face Swiatek, someone she has beaten only once before. The American is no stranger to the strength of the world No.2.
“She’s a good server. She’s a good returner. She moves incredibly well,” Keys said.
“If you miss your spot just slightly, she has enough time to recover and then the point goes back to neutral … So I think it’s really hard to ever really get ahead in a point.”
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Badosa, the world No.12, is playing some of her best tennis following a period plagued by injury. This will mark her first-ever grand slam semi-final appearance and could be the “comeback of the year,” according to Badosa, herself.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka is on her way to a history-making third consecutive women’s singles win. Doing so would put her name on a list alongside the likes of Steffi Graff, Margaret Court and Martina Hingis.
”I’m really happy that I put myself in this situation where I have the opportunity to become one of [the three time winners],” world No.1 Sabalenka said after her victory against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Tuesday.
“To be next to those names, that’s just a dream. Of course, it has always been in the back of my mind that I can do that.
“I know that if I’ll be able to bring my best tennis… if not the best tennis, then the best fighting spirit. I know that I’m capable of doing that.”
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