In Brisbane, Jelena Ostapenko insists the umpire be banned from her matches, declaring, “You ruin my matches.”
In the Brisbane International quarterfinals, Jelena Ostapenko lost to Victoria Azarenka in three sets and demanded that chair umpire Julie Kjnedlie not be permitted to officiate one of her matches ever again. Even though Ostapenko thought the ball had already bounced twice, the 2017 French Open champion claimed the umpire was “blind” during a point Azarenka won in their match.
Jelena Ostapenko, who lost to Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in the Brisbane International quarterfinals, demanded that chair umpire Julie Kjnedlie be barred from all of her matches.
In the third set decider, with the score tied at 4,4, Ostapenko played a drop shot that hit the net chord and landed in front of Azarenka.
Azarenka won the point and the match to take a 5-4 lead. The No. 3 seed thought the ball bounced twice before Azarenka returned it, but it was not called.
Ostapenko said she was “blind” to the umpire after the contentious point ended and made her way to her chair.
“You have no sight,” the Latvian remarked. “Playing when you make so many mistakes is impossible.
“I never want you at my match again. You will never be at my match. I don’t want you at my matches, you ruin my matches.”
Following the conclusion of the excellent two and a-half-hour match, Ostapenko shook hands with Azarenka but not with Kjendlie.
Following a close win to guarantee her spot in the semifinals, Azarenka complimented her opponent, the two-time Australian Open champion.
The eighth-seeded player stated in her on-court interview that “with Jelena, sometimes you have to put on a helmet and try to stay in there.”
“She has demonstrated that she is capable of defeating anyone at any time. She forces you to compete for every rebound and blows past winners.
“The quality of tennis was incredible, so to be able to go through I’m very proud.”