Aryna Sabalenka’s clash against Rebeka Masarova at the ongoing Berlin Open was paused midway through after the latter complained about the conditions. The decision to pause the match stirred up quite the controversy, and former US Open champion Andy Roddick recently weighed in on the debate.
Sabalenka and Masarova’s battle in Berlin got off to an exciting start for the qualifier as she took the lead in the early stages of the match. The Swiss World No.112 had six break points in the opening set, only for her Belarusian rival to claw her way back into the game and clinch a 6-2 win.
As the two players switched ends for their second game, Masarova complained that her side of the court was too slippery to play on and the umpire subsequently paused the match. The decision left many, including Aryna Sabalenka, annoyed.
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Reacting to the situation, Andy Roddick called out Rebeka Masarova for complaining about the courts. In a conversation with the Tennis Channel, the American stated,
“She just wanted the exit door. Because what was happening out there favoured Masarova zero. But it's a tough call for Masarova because you're not only protecting yourself, but then this affects the entire draw, the entire tournament. They're trying to wedge in one more match. Sabalenka’s obviously not someone you can hide on the side court. There was about an hour of daylight left.”
Roddick went on to reflect on a time when he pulled a similar manoeuvre, saying,
“I did this one time and it was purely because I didn't want to play another set, not because it was wet. I did it at Wimbledon, I was up two sets, guy came back won two sets, and I just walked off the court, and there wasn't much they could do. I think Sabalenka was absolutely right. I was wrong then, and Masarova was wrong today.”
Aryna Sabalenka’s honest reaction after Berlin Open controversy
For Aryna Sabalenka, the Berlin Open marks her first outing on grass courts for the season. The Belarusian arrived at the event after her heartbreak at the French Open, where she went down to Coco Gauff in the finals.
While Sabalenka struggled in the beginning of her clash against Rebeka Masarova, she recovered well to close in on the first set. After the game was paused, the World No.1 didn't hesitate in sharing her thoughts about the situation, telling the umpire,
"So you're stopping the match because she said on that side it's slippery? I just played two games on that side. She's just losing the match.”
Aryna Sabalenka and Rebeka Masarova will return to action on Thursday to resume their match. The winner of the clash will go on to face either Elena Rybakina or Katerina Siniakova.
