Wimbledon 2025: Pavlyuchenkova Advances to Last Eight Amid Line Call Controversy

Last Updated:July 06, 2025, 21:39 IST

Pavlyuchenkova overcame a controversial line-call error to defeat Britain's Kartal 7-6(3), 6-4, reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals, praising her mental toughness.

Pavlyuchenkova at Wimbledon (AFP)

Unseeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova overcame a controversial line-calling error and a spirited challenge from Britain’s Sonay Kartal to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the second time, securing a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory on Centre Court Sunday.

Technology Glitch Sparks Chaos

The turning point in the opening set came at 4-4, when Pavlyuchenkova reached game point. Kartal struck a shot that appeared clearly long, prompting the Russian to stop playing in anticipation of a call. But no call came.

Television replays showed the ball had landed well beyond the baseline, but the Hawk-Eye system failed to register it. Chair umpire Nico Helwerth consulted via telephone and ruled that because the automated system couldn’t track the ball, the point would be replayed.

Furious at the decision, Pavlyuchenkova lost her focus and dropped serve. At the changeover, she voiced her frustration to the umpire:

“Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me. They stole the game from me. You stole the game from me."

Composure and Experience Prevail

Despite the setback and a 5-4 deficit, the 34-year-old Russian showed remarkable composure, saving a set point and breaking back immediately. She then surged ahead in the tiebreak, using her powerful groundstrokes to keep the 23-year-old Kartal pinned behind the baseline.

In the second set, Pavlyuchenkova found herself trailing 2-1 but responded with a run of three consecutive games, using her depth and court coverage to dominate the rallies. Kartal, the last British woman remaining in the singles draw, fought valiantly and pushed the match to 5-4. But Pavlyuchenkova held firm to serve out the match.

“I always thought I was not good enough on grass, so this is incredible for me," said Pavlyuchenkova, who previously reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2016.

“My mental toughness is getting better. I used to be a little bit crazy in my head! But now I am learning to fight point by point."

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

Read More

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