World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka has crashed out of the Adelaide International, undone by a dismal serving performance in her match against Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson.
Sabalenka served 21 double faults in the match, which Peterson won 5-7, 6-1, 7-5. There were 15 breaks of serve during the match.
At one point in the third set Sabalenka could barely get the ball in the court, simply lobbing her serve with no power at all.
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“She’s nearly had an air-swing on an underarm,” said Adam Peacock in commentary for Stan Sport.
It prompted chair umpire Julie Kjendlie to intervene, asking if the Belarusian was OK, with Sabalenka taking exception to the question.
“This is my technical problem, I cannot serve better,” she replied.
Nine’s Jelena Dokic said in commentary that the situation was uncomfortable.
“It’s tough, I feel for her,” Dokic noted.
“It’s about finding those answers out there, but even off the court, what do you do next?
“It clearly set Sabalenka off, saying ‘there’s nothing I can do, it’s my technical problem, I’m trying.’
“It’s a tough one, because you’re genuinely concerned. Julie Kjendlie, she’s an incredible chair umpire, I’ve known her for a long time, incredibly experienced and I think she was concerned. Obviously the timing of it for Sabalenka wasn’t great.
“This is hard to watch. The fact that she’s in tears out on court. I’m genuinely concerned for Sabalenka.”
Speaking after the match, Peterson had nothing but sympathy for her opponent.
“It was the weirdest match I’ve ever played. It was tough staying in there, I know she was struggling a lot.
“To be in my own world, it was really difficult.”
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