Swiatek double-bounce controversy reignites video debate

Australian Open 2025

Dates: 12-26 January Venue: Melbourne Park

Coverage: Live vigor commentary connected Tennis Breakfast from 07:00 GMT connected BBC 5 Sports Extra, positive unrecorded substance commentaries connected the BBC Sport website and app

A wide treble bounce successful the Australian Open quarter-final betwixt Iga Swiatek and Emma Navarro has reignited the statement implicit tennis' usage of video technology.

Navarro mislaid a constituent erstwhile she trailed 6-1 2-2 A-40 contempt the shot bouncing doubly successful beforehand of a stretching Swiatek, who went connected to win 6-1 6-2.

Because Navarro continued playing, alternatively of instantly stopping the point, the American eighth effect was incapable to situation the call.

The Australian Open has introduced a video reappraisal strategy for the archetypal clip this twelvemonth - but it tin lone beryllium utilized connected a constituent ending telephone oregon erstwhile a subordinate stops play.

Afterwards Navarro said the incidental did not "cause a momentum swing" but inactive believes determination should beryllium a alteration to the system.

"I deliberation we should beryllium capable to spot it afterwards," Navarro said.

"It happened truthful fast. In the backmost of your caput you're like, 'OK possibly I tin inactive triumph the constituent adjacent though it wasn't called'.

"It's going to beryllium a downer if I halt the constituent and it turns retired it wasn't a treble bounce.

"It's tough."

Five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek said she "wasn't sure" if it was a treble bounce aft it was suggested she should person conceded the point.

"It was hard to accidental due to the fact that I was afloat sprinting. I don't retrieve adjacent seeing the interaction point," said the Polish 2nd seed.

"I don't know. Sometimes you don't truly look erstwhile you deed the ball.

"I thought this is similar the umpire's benignant of occupation to telephone it. I was besides waiting for the VAR, but I didn't spot it truthful I conscionable proceeded."

The Australian Open is the 2nd of the sport's 4 large tournaments to present the video reviews.

It was called into enactment aboriginal connected Wednesday successful the men's quarter-final betwixt American 21st effect Ben Shelton and Italy's Lorenzo Sonego.

In an incidental akin to the 1 involving Navarro and Swiatek, Sonego stopped erstwhile helium thought determination was a treble bounce and raised the challenge.

Umpire Thomas Sweeney checked the replay and ruled successful favour of Sonego, who was trailing 6-4 1-2 15-0.

"The shot did bounce doubly earlier Ben got to the ball. The people is 15-15," Sweeney told the crowd.

Technology has been utilized to determine enactment calls for galore years, but the 2023 US Open was the archetypal clip umpires could entree replays to marque a determination connected treble bounces.

It has been trialled astatine the ATP Finals and Next Gen Finals successful caller seasons.