World No. 1 Iga Swiatek advocates the use of video refereeing following the Shuai Zhang incident and rising umpiring mistakes this season

Iga Swiatek spoke up on the need to implement video refereeing in tennis matches.

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek advocates the use of video refereeing following the Shuai Zhang incident and rising umpiring mistakes this season

Zhang(L) and Swiatek(R)(Images via: South China Morning Post and WTA)

With the 2023 US Open commencing today, Polish tennis sensation Iga Swiatek spoke up on the need to utilize video footage for refereeing tennis matches. In a press conference ahead of the opening round on Monday, the World No. 1 recalled an incident from July. “We could see what happened in Budapest,” she said, making a reference to the match between Shuai Zhang and Amarissa Toth at the Hungarian Open. 

For the uninitiated, at the incident back in July, many claimed that Toth won an illegitimate point because both players’ scores were tied at 5-5. Zhang had protested the umpire’s decision and urged them to take another look at it. As expected, the tension created in court caused Zhang to have a panic attack.

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Speaking on the issue, Swiatek claimed, “For sure we need that in tennis because there are many important points that can really change the momentum.” Explaining it further, she said, “Sometimes the decisions that the umpire take, everything is going so fast that sometimes it would be nice for them to have a replay and to exactly see what happened“.

FS Video

Iga Swiatek is all set to clash against Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson today in the first round of the 2023 US Open. The 22-year-old will be defending her title after winning it for the first time last year. Swiatek had defeated Ons Jabeur with a score of 6-2, 7-6.

Explore: US Open 2023: Iga Swiatek vs Rebecca Peterson Preview, Prediction and Live Stream

The Amarissa Toth and Shuai Zhang controversy explained

Shuai Zhang in tears mid-match(Image via:Tennis.com)
Shuai Zhang in tears mid-match (Image via:Tennis.com)

Amarissa Toth clashed with China’s Shuai Zhang in the first round of the Hungarian Open back in July. Though Zhang managed to defeat her opponent, the highlight of their match was far more controversial. Several tennis fans claimed that the chair umpire granted Toth an illegitimate point in the first set. The incident escalated into an argument when Zhang approached the umpire to take another look at the shot.

Zhang was unable to focus in the subsequent rallies and kept bringing up the issue, during which Toth was caught wiping lines off the court. This caused Zhang to slip into a panic attack, and her medical team was called. Zhang retired from the tournament, and the Hungarian later gave an apology.

Zhang will not be playing in the US Open this season due to a previously sustained injury.

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