Iga Swiatek continued her romp through the Australian Open draw with a
quarter-final victory over Emma Navarro despite controversy over a double bounce.
The Pole’s 6-1 6-2 win means she has dropped just 14 games so far in five matches – including a 6-1 6-0 victory over Emma Raducanu in the third round – a feat bettered under the current format by only Maria Sharapova, Monica Seles and Steffi Graf.
But there was controversy after umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore did not spot a double bounce at a crucial moment in the fifth game of the second set.
Swiatek was under pressure for the first time in the match but won the game despite just failing to get to a short ball in time. Navarro protested but was denied a video review because she carried on playing the point.
The American eighth seed did not win another game, with Swiatek moving through to the semi-finals in Melbourne for the second time, where she will face Madison Keys.
The five-time Grand Slam champion went into the clash with Navarro having spent just four hours and 30 minutes on court compared to 10 hours and 14 minutes for her opponent, who had come through three-set battles in each of her previous matches.
It did not take long for Swiatek to seize control, and the second seed will be a strong favourite to reach her first Australian Open final.
Keys has also matched her best result here having first made the semi-finals a decade ago.
The American made it 10 victories in a row to start the season, coming from a set down to defeat Elina Svitolina 3-6 6-3 6-4.
Svitolina’s steady play earned her the opening set but Keys struck 37 winners in sets two and three combined as she imposed her powerful game.
“It feels great,” said the 29-year-old, whose best Grand Slam run was a US Open final appearance in 2017. “I’m really, really proud of myself to be in another semi-final here and hoping and looking forward to seeing if I can make it one step further.”
“I kind of just had to start playing a little bit more aggressive and try to get to the net a bit quicker,” continued Keys, who reached the last four in 2015 and 2022.
“She was controlling a lot of the points and making me run so I felt like I needed to try and get on the advantage a little bit quicker and luckily I was able to do that.
“I think I played a little bit smarter for sure. Probably a little bit less fearless.”
Navarro calls for rules to be changed
Navarro has called for a change in the rules after a controversial moment during her quarter-final loss to Swiatek
Navarro does not blame Swiatek for the double bounce, but the moment has renewed the debate over the use of video reviews in tennis.
Use of replays was first introduced at the US Open in 2023, and the American believes the rule should be changed to allow a review at the end of a point.
“I think the rules should be different. I think we should be able to look at it afterwards and decide,” said the American during her press conference.
“We should be allowed to see after the point even if you play. It happened so fast. You hit the shot, and she hits it back, and you’re just, like, ‘Oh, I guess I’m playing’. In the back of your head you’re, like, ‘Okay, maybe I can still win the point’ – even though it wasn’t called.
“It’s going to be a downer if I stop the point and it turns out it wasn’t a double bounce. I think we should be able to see it afterwards and make that call.”
When Navarro saw a replay on the video board at Rod Laver Arena during the ensuing changeover, Navarro asked official Eva Asderaki-Moore, “Did you see that?”
“I asked her after the point if I could see a replay,” Navarro said, “and she said I played it, so I couldn’t see it.”
Navarro was not bitter towards Swiatek, saying: “It’s in the moment. I don’t know if she knew or not. Ultimately, it’s up to the ref to make the call. It’s tough to place blame on anybody. It’s a tough call. I think the rules should be different that I think we, for sure, should be able to look at it afterwards and decide.”
Swiatek: I didn’t see the replay
Swiatek pleaded her ignorance over the double-bounce call
Swiatek pleaded ignorance to the moment, saying: “I didn’t see the replay because after the point I didn’t look up at the screens because I wanted to stay focused and didn’t want this point to stay in my head for a longer period of time.
“I wasn’t sure if it was a double bounce or I hit it with my frame. It was hard to say because I was full sprinting. I don’t remember even seeing the contact point.
“I thought this is the umpire’s job to call it. I was also waiting for the VAR, but I didn’t see it, so I just kind of proceeded.”
Swiatek did not echo Navarro’s call for a rule change, likening the system to line call challenges.
“This is the first time something like that happened to me, so I’m not sure,” she said. “But I think they already had a lot of time to think it through. So, if there would be some better option, I think tennis would use it.”
Swiatek expecting ‘tricky’ semi-final against Keys
Swiatek, who owns a 4-1 career record against Keys, said of the semi-final matchup, “Madison is a great player and really experienced, so you never know. The match that I lost, she kind of killed me, so I think it can be tricky.”
While rarely associated with defence, patience or even much of a Plan B, Keys said she would be wary about being too aggressive against Swiatek.
“The biggest thing that makes her so difficult to beat is because since she moves so well, if you miss your spot just slightly, she has enough time to recover, and then the point goes back to neutral,” she said.
“So then there’s just such a balance of being aggressive and trying to get her to move and going for things, but not pressing too hard and not going for anything too quickly.
“So I think she just does such a good job at making people start going for a little bit too much too quickly.”
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