By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday July 30, 2024
While you fail to transform a match level and find yourself shedding on the Olympics, there’s sure to be frustration. American Emma Navarro let her anger be felt after falling to China’s Zheng Qinwen on Tuesday in Paris, 6-7(7), 7-6(4), 6-1.
A loss to the rising Chinese language left snakebitten Navarro rueing her missed alternative.
The Paris climate wasn’t the one factor that was boiling over on Tuesday…
“I simply advised her I did not respect her as a competitor,” Navarro mentioned when requested what she mentioned in the course of the pair’s heated trade on the internet after the match, based on the AFP. “I believe she goes about issues in a reasonably cut-throat approach. It makes for a locker room that does not have loads of camaraderie, so it is robust to face an opponent like that, who I actually do not respect.”
Probably the most surprising drama of the day got here after the unbelievable Zheng-Navarro battle.
Qinwen gained after saving match level. The handshake was tense and defined by each gamers afterwords.
Navarro. “I simply advised her I did not respect her as a competitor. I believe she goes about… pic.twitter.com/T6jYQFRaYp
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) July 30, 2024
Navarro additionally led 5-3 within the second set of a wild encounter that lasted three hours and 12 minutes. The American had her match level with Zheng serving at 3-5, ad-out.
Zheng gained 11 of the ultimate 13 factors of the set after which raced via the decider to ebook a quarterfinal conflict with Angelique Kerber.
“Kudos to her, she performed some good tennis there on the finish. She performed higher than me, so congrats to her,” Navarro added.
Zheng mentioned she was open to criticism.
“She advised me she does not understand how I’ve loads of followers,” the sixth-seeded Chinese language mentioned.
“It appears to be like like she’s not pleased with my behaviour in direction of her. If she’s not comfortable about my behaviour, she will come and inform me. I want to right it to grow to be a greater participant and a greater individual.
“I am glad that she advised me that. I cannot contemplate it an assault as a result of she misplaced the match.”