Mladenovic pins French meltdown on US Open lockdown, no-call

Kristina Mlevic blamed her French Open meltdown on her U.S. Open lockdown — and she wasn’t too pleased about a -call on a double bounce that helped her opponent avoid ceding first set Wednesday, eir.

France’s Mlevic lost 7-5, 6-3 in first round at Roland Garros to Laura Siegemund, blowing a 5-1 le in opening set after holding a set point that she thought she converted with a drop shot.

Mlevic was furious that chair umpire Eva Asderaki didn’t spot extra bounce that came during a 10-stroke exchange. Siegemund ran for Mlevic’s short ball and got it back over net — although a TV replay showed ball h bounced twice.

“I think chair umpire was only person t to have seen it,” said Mlevic, who was thrown off when point continued and wound up touching net, automatically giving point to Siegemund.

“Mistakes are human, but I don’t see how umpire can miss that. She didn’t see a double bounce,” Mlevic said. “Unfortunately, she will continue at Roland Garros, and I won’t continue at Roland Garros.”

Mlevic would have been pleasantly surprised if Siegemund ackwledged double bounce herself.

“If she would have done it, she would have all my respect and be super fair play,” Mlevic said. “But she’s t one responsible. I think chair umpire is one that should be really focused on that call.”

In her most recent tournament, at Flushing Meows this month, Mlevic threw away a 6-1, 5-1 le in her second-round singles match. n she got kicked out of doubles at U.S. Open — where she and Timea Babos were seeded . 1 — because she came in contact during a practice session and card game with a countryman, Beit Paire, who tested positive for coronavirus in New York.

Public health officials said Mlevic was at risk and was placed in quarantine after her singles exit but just before her doubles match.

“Definitely t preparation I wanted to have coming up to Roland Garros. I couldn’t prepare way I wanted, so it obviously affected my whole preparation,” Mlevic said. “I wanted to play Rome, to play Strasbourg, but I couldn’t be rey for it.”

t having access to a gym was b eugh, but stuck inside four walls was on ar level.

“It’s brutal for body when you (have) eight days (of) lockdown in a hotel room,” Mlevic said Wednesday. “Even first week, where I competed in my singles, I was basically isolated and couldn’t train.”

All in all, she said, “t a great experience.”

INSPIRED TEENR

Danish women are so scarce in top-level tennis that you would have to go all way back to 1989 to find one t named Caroline Wozniacki in second round of any Grand Slam tournament.

Until Tuesday, that is. That’s when 17-year-old qualifier Clara Tauson earned her first tour-level victory — in her main-draw debut at a major, less — by eliminating U.S. Open semifinalist and . 21 seed Jennifer Bry 6-4, 3-6, 9-7.

Quite a breakthrough for Tauson, who was ranked . 1 as a junior and won girls’ title at last year’s Australian Open.

“I was just grateful to be re,” Tauson said after 2-hour, 45-minute match on Court Simonne Mathieu, third-biggest arena at Roland Garros.

“I’ve never really experienced a match like that,” she said.

Tauson erased a 4-2 4 deficit in final set and saved two match points before closing out victory on her fifth chance.

Tauson grew up watching Wozniacki, who retired this year after reaching . 1 during a career that included an Australian Open title in 2018.

“Of course, Caroline was a huge role model for me. Denmark is a very small tennis country and she me it out,” Tauson said. “That me me think I could make it out, also, on tour.”

She is based at four-time French Open champion Justine Henin’s acemy in Belgium, where Tauson works with coach Olivier Jeunehomme.

“She was re at some of my match today, and she’s always at acemy, always saying hello and watching some of my practices,” Tauson said about Henin. “She’s also a great inspiration. She’s done pretty well here also in her career. So I’m trying to do same.”

EGYPTIAN TENNIS PIONEER

Mayar Sherif is first woman from Egypt to play in main draw of a Grand Slam tournament. Even threw a scare into French Open’s . 2 seed.

w Sherif wants ar wish to come true: a phone call from countryman Mohamed Salah, soccer star who helped Liverpool win Premier League last season and is a two-time African Player of Year.

“He hasn’t reached out. I wish he would, that would be very, very, nice,” Sherif said after losing to 2016 U.S. Open runner-up Karolina Pliskova 6-7 (9), 6-2, 6-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

“It was amazing feeling. I cant describe it. It just gave me so much energy,” said Sherif, who is ranked 172nd and went through qualifying to earn a spot in field in Paris. “I loved playing in stium. I loved having attention. I loved people being re, supporting. I enjoyed so much, enjoyed pressure moments.”

While 24-year-old Sherif is just starting out on tennis’ big st, Salah is well used to starring on it and is a huge name back home.

“He’s one of best football players in world and to see someone very successful supporting or people in his country, it just gives you some energy,” she said.

If call does come, she’d like to pick his brain.

“ thing I would ask him is how did he break barrier of believing, or being first of doing something so big from Egypt, as a person that comes from Egypt?” she said. “How did he go through that? And how were sts to get to point to where he is w?”

Im credits: AP

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