In an unpredictable turn of events at the Indian Wells, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka found herself on the receiving end of a code violation shortly after the onset of her fourth-round match. Sabalenka was facing Britain’s third-ranked Sonay Kartal, a lucky loser entrant, whose game was largely an enigma to the top seed. This unfamiliarity was evident when Sabalenka found herself broken straight off the bat.
Following this initial setback, Sabalenka was issued a warning by the umpire for an audible obscenity. Despite the tumultuous start, the Belarusian star managed to regain her footing swiftly and level the scores. However, the drama didn’t stop there. In a peculiar incident, Sabalenka had to assist in repairing the net before requesting a VAR.
Kartal, who is ranked 83rd globally, was playing her first main draw of a WTA 1000 event. After failing to qualify, she snuck in when Sloane Stephens withdrew, and has since seized the opportunity with both hands. Facing the three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka was undoubtedly the biggest challenge of Kartal’s career, yet she handled it with grace, breaking Sabalenka in the first game.
Understandably, this led to visible frustration from the world No. 1, who was immediately penalized. Adam Fielder, commenting on Sky Sports, noted, “Sabalenka maybe just feeling a little bit rattled as well because she’s just picked up a code violation for an audible obscenity already.” Nevertheless, Sabalenka quickly regained her footing, breaking back to draw level.
The match took an unexpected turn when Sabalenka’s shot caused the net to detach from its position on the court. The world No. 1 then assisted in fixing the net before resorting to the video review system to ascertain when the net got dislodged and if it had any bearing on her point.
This week, all courts in Indian Wells are equipped with VAR, but players are limited to three challenges per set. The umpire ruled that the net was dislodged only after the rally concluded, and the point was awarded to Kartal. However, Sabalenka made a spirited comeback, breaking Kartal’s serve again to claim her third consecutive game.
Before the match, Sabalenka confessed to having scant information about her British opponent. The 26-year-old stated, “I never play her before, and not like I saw a lot of matches of her, but I’m sure that my team will prepare some highlights of her. We’ll watch some of her games.” When informed that Kartal was accustomed to the blustery conditions in Indian Wells as she was raised and trained in Brighton, Sabalenka humorously retorted, “Are you trying to put some pressure on me right now or what?”
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