Game, set, scream — Simona wants match point replayed
LONDON: Simona Halep believes the match point in her Wimbledon quarter-final defeat to Britain’s Johanna Konta should have been replayed after a fan screamed out, causing the Romanian to check her stride and shot.
Just as the second seed went into her wind-up on a forehand to stay in the tie, a woman’s loud, piercing scream echoed around Centre Court, the sound amplified to dramatic effect by the closed roof.
Simona was obviously distracted by the call and looked to umpire Kader Nouni to rule the point to be r eplayed.
But no call was forthcoming and Johanna too looked bemused as she walked to the net after her 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win, which made her the first British woman to reach the semi-finals in 39 years.
“I thought he’s going to repeat the point. I think it’s normal to repeat the point when someone is screaming like that,” said Simona.
“He said, We cannot replay. I cannot change anything. So why I should fight?”
Johanna, 26, said the scream was just as distracting from her side.
“It was a woman on my end who screamed. I think she got overexcited about the deep ball that Simona hit. It was actually as I was hitting my ball, so I think it more affected me than my opponent,” she said.
“I think the fans were a little over-enthusiastic in parts. But I definitely cannot complain with the amount of support and general good feelings that they were wishing my way.”
Supporters i n the 15,000seater Centre Court roared on home favourite Johanna throughout the match.
Johanna will face five-time champion Venus Williams in the semi-finals today. AFP