When Gauff completed an overhead volley in the third set of the grueling clash, it seemed like the local heroes had come back in the match tiebreak. But a paper napkin that flew onto the pitch during the rally was soon to cause tempers to heat up.
Gauff’s and Pegula’s opponent Saville raised her arm in the middle of the exchange of blows and loudly complained about the very napkin that was still off the field at the time the event happened. “Let!” yelled the Australian, demanding the rally be repeated.
Referee Rask promptly spoke up and gave in to the 28-year-old’s demand – much to the displeasure of Gauff and Pegula. Stunned, the duo rushed towards Rask and criticized his intervention.
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“You didn’t realize it until she raised her hand,” Pegula exclaimed. Gauff immediately agreed with her partner and accused the referee of taking points away from her. “They steal our points! That’s the second time,” complained the French Open finalist.
Pegula and Gauff fail after complaints
Pegula even went one step further and found her opponent infringing the rules. “She shouted ‘Let’ in the middle of the point – she can’t do that!” Underlined the 28-year-old.
But Rask stuck to his decision and had the point repeated. Shortly thereafter, the end of the two Americans was sealed, Saville and Fernandez moved into the 2nd round of the US Open in front of an incendiary crowd.
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UPDATE 31/08/2022 AT 21:29