At the 2023 Indian Wells, the drama continues to rage on. Fans were excited to watch the round-of-16 match between Karolina Pliskova and Maria Sakkari. However, rather than the match, the heated exchange between the two players and the chair umpire has gone viral on social media.
Pliskova’s Instagram comments have only added fuel to the fire of their ongoing rivalry. The feud between the two players has been ongoing since 2022. In the Cincinnati Masters, the match was marred by controversial calls by the chair umpire, which went against Pliskova.
The drama continues to rage on at the 2023 Indian Wells
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In the eighth game of the third set, Pliskova felt she saw something the umpire couldn’t catch. She shared that Sakkari’s racket touched one of her shots that was called out. Sakkari denied that the ball touched her racket and was awarded the point. Following this incident, the tension between the two players continued to grow. Thus, the post-match handshake was an awkward moment, and fans pointed out it was anything but sportswoman-like behavior.
A little drama in the Karolina Pliskova vs Maria Sakkari Indian Wells match
From what I can see, it looks like Maria’s racquet touched the ball & the point should’ve been awarded to Karolina.
I still don’t understand why tennis doesn’t use video replay for stuff like this.. pic.twitter.com/e1kKWalf7b
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 14, 2023
Despite her behavior on the court, Pliskova continued to defend her point in her post-match interview. She stated that she was sure that the ball touched the Greek star’s racket.
Lol why do players even bother interacting with me on Instagram I'm just trouble to the bone pic.twitter.com/IASs67DOuV
— Jonah (@jonahtennis) March 16, 2023
But, Sakkari stood her ground and denied any wrongdoing. The incident has divided tennis fans, with some defending Pliskova’s actions and others siding with Sakkari. After the match, Pliskova reacted to a fan who agreed with Pliskova on Instagram. She replied to the fan’s comments in one word: “Right.” Her witty comment has won her some supporters. Some fans have praised Pliskova for speaking her mind and not being afraid to confront her opponent.
Some fans have criticized Pliskova for her behavior on the court, while others have defended her for standing up for what she believes in.
Sakkari had a troublesome time with her opponent at the Australian Open
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During the Australian Open, Maria Sakkari was upset by her 18-year-old opponent. At Melbourne Park, Diana Shnaider was celebrating her winning points with loud screams directed towards Sakkari. The Greek star was, understandably, not pleased and brought the matter to the attention of the chair umpire.
She had threatened to walk away from the match if Shnaider screamed in her face one more time. The incident was noted on social media by fans and journalists. Despite the drama, Sakkari was able to make a comeback and secure a second-round victory against the young talent.
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What do you think about the latest controversy? Do you think Sakkari hit the ball?
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