Emma Raducanu was left angry at ‘insane’ umpiring calls in her win over Ena Shibahara while Andy Murray has cast doubt over featuring at the Olympics.
British tennis superstars Raducanu and Murray are both preparing for Wimbledon next month, with the famous Grand Slam event getting underway on July 1.
Raducanu is currently in action at the Nottingham Open and has just played her first match since April, producing a 6-1 6-4 win over Japanese qualifier Shibahara.
Murray, meanwhile, lost 6-3 6-4 to Marcos Giron in Stuttgart on Tuesday and has now hinted he may not play the Olympic Games in Paris this summer in a worrying update given he’s strongly hinted that it’s his final season in the sport.
Emma Raducanu fumes at umpire
Emma Raducanu was not impressed with umpire Ana Carvalho after her first-round win over Ena Shibahara in Nottingham.
Ahead of her second-round match against Daria Snigur, the 21-year-old said: ‘I mean, I felt like I was playing two v one on court, it was insane. I would have used probably at least four [challenges]. A lot of the time they go both ways.
‘Today, I felt they were all one way, against me, but it just makes me feel better that I managed to beat her and the umpire as well at the same time. It is difficult when there is no challenge but it is something that everyone has to deal with.
Why did Emma Raducanu skip French Open?
Emma Raducanu took the shock decision to skip the French Open this year to focus on the grass-court season.
It came after the 2021 US Open champion suffered a humiliating defeat in Madrid and complained about exhaustion.
Her match against Ena Shibahara was her first in seven weeks and Raducanu produced a 6-1 6-4 win over the qualifier in Nottingham.
Raducanu is still building up her long-term fitness after injury problems derailed her 2023 campaign and she was forced to undergo surgery.
‘Maybe it was just trying to make the match more competitive. It was 6-1, 5-1 and all of a sudden, first point, serving at 5-3, it’s a really bad line call. It’s something I had to deal with and overcome. I am very pleased with the attitude that I came out with from the get-go and also having to deal with the adversity.
‘It is happening more and more – more and more tournaments are getting Hawk-Eye. There is a beauty in having all the linesmen and it does add to the drama for the spectators. For us, it can be the most frustrating thing ever.
‘It’s not just me. Yesterday Harriet [Dart] was saying the same thing. At this tournament, quite a few players say it.’
Andy Murray provides Olympic update
Andy Murray is keen to challenge for a third Olympic gold medal this summer in what could be one of his final events before retirement – but the British veteran has now suggested he may opt out if he is not selected for the doubles event.
‘I need to see what happens with the Olympics,’ the 37-year-old said after his first-round loss to Marcos Giron in Stuttgart.
‘I’m not 100 per cent sure what the situation is there with the doubles yet and whether or not I will play if I just get in the singles. I don’t know.
‘My body didn’t feel great playing on the clay in the last month or so. I had quite a few issues with my back, so I don’t know if I would go just for singles. I need to wait a little bit and see on that.’
The Olympic tennis tournament gets underway at Roland-Garros on July 27 and concludes on August 4.
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