Source : ABC NEWS
Aryna Sabalenka has lamented she wants to “quit tennis right now” after her shock three-set loss to Russian Diana Shnaider in the French Open quarterfinals, after the world number one let opportunities slip in the second set.
The Belarusian handled the blustery conditions to win the opening set, forged a commanding 4-1 lead in the second, and was two points away from victory when serving at 5-4, but that was when the contest began to turn, and Shnaider won the last 10 games to prevail 3-6, 7-5, 6-0.
The loss was so devastating that the four-time grand slam champion said she did not want to see a tennis court.
“No thoughts, no emotions, [I] just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka told reporters.
“But we’ll see in a few days, hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.
“I screwed up, and then she stepped in, and she played great. I feel like mentally I couldn’t really recover after [the] second set. That really was the biggest mistake,” she added.
“I don’t know the last time I lost 10 games in a row … I guess mentally I got into [a] very deep, dark hole over there, and I just couldn’t get back mentally on track.”
Diana Shnaider said she made note of how Sabalenka struggled in the wind in last year’s final. (Getty Images: Ibrahim Ezzat/NurPhoto)
Sabalenka was puzzled by the decision to keep the roof of Court Philippe-Chatrier open as the wind caused issues for both players, sweeping red dirt into their faces at times, and affecting their ability to control their shots throughout.
“I don’t know why would they keep the roof open when it was crazy windy,” last year’s runner-up Sabalenka added.
“But how can I complain if almost for the whole match everything was working okay for me, but then it just slipped away. I feel like it was getting crazy maybe just because mentally I wasn’t really okay.
“Even though I was winning, it was dirty tennis. I don’t know how people could actually just sit there and watch me play. Then at some point she stepped in, and she played unbelievable in those conditions.”
Shnaider was also surprised.
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“I was warming up with a closed roof. I didn’t know they were going to open it up. They were starting to open it right when I was finishing my warm-up,” Shnaider said.
“I was a little bit surprised with that decision. But again, the conditions were very tough; there were a lot of dirty shots, it was very unpredictable, a lot of wind and a lot of sand.
“I was a little annoyed more in the first set, but I tried to keep reminding myself that it’s [the] same conditions for the both of us. I’ve got to admit it that it’s tough, and I needed to figure out what I have to do.”
All of Sabalenka’s grand slam titles have come on hardcourts, and she said she needed to crack the code on clay and grass.
“I really feel great on clay. I feel great on grass. I don’t know, maybe I’m focusing too much that I’ve never won a slam on each surface, and maybe it’s making me overthink stuff, making me over-emotional in some moments.
“This is something that I have to step back and try to find a solution for, because I’m just so tired losing matches not in the best way, just because I was over-emotional.”
Sabalenka was criticised after losing last year’s final for saying “in terrible conditions [she] showed terrible tennis”, later adding Iga Świątek would have won the final against Coco Gauff had Sabalenka not won their semifinal.
The Belarusian had struggled in the wind and clearly let it affect her mentally throughout the decider, which Shnaider said she committed to memory.
“Of course I knew in the final last year … it was super windy,” Shnaider told reporters.
“I had that thought in the back of my mind that she was struggling with Coco last year. I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ve got to use this opportunity, I need to just adjust.'”
Sabalenka said she would look for a way through the setback, insisting that the experience would only make her stronger.
“I figured how I can overcome it,” she added with a smile.
“You know those rooms where you just go in and you smash everything? I’ll probably spend the whole day there tomorrow destroying stuff. Maybe it’ll help, maybe not.”
Shnaider and semifinal opponent Maja Chwalińska will both be trying to progress to their maiden grand slam decider after the Polish qualifier continued her Paris dream run with a 7-6(3) 6-3 victory over Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya.
Chwalinska will have the chance to step out of compatriot Świątek’s shadow and earn a much bigger windfall having already collected $870,000 for her semi-final run — more than she has earned during her entire career.
“I feel like for some reason, I don’t process it. Like, I’m just focusing on every single match. I honestly don’t feel like it’s like a huge moment for me,” Chwalinska said of her win.
“But definitely after the tournament finishes, I will have time to be grateful for what happened and process it as well. But for now, I’m just very happy, but I know that I need to focus on the job.”
Reuters/ABC
