'You took the game away from me': Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova blasts umpire after controversial call at Wimbledon

The match between Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Sonay Kartal was marked by controversy after a line call that left the Russian veteran far from pleased. The 35-year-old eventually claimed a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory to advance to the quarterfinals and eliminate the last British player from the women’s draw.

The opening set was tightly contested as Pavlyuchenkova served at 4-4. After saving two break points and holding game point, a backhand shot from Kartal landed beyond the baseline—but no out call came from the electronic system. The missed call, later attributed to “operator error,” sparked Pavlyuchenkova’s anger as she confronted the chair umpire.

Instead of awarding the point to Pavlyuchenkova, the point was replayed and eventually won by Kartal. The Brit then converted her fourth break point opportunity to go up 5-4 and served for the set, while Pavlyuchenkova grew visibly frustrated.

TV microphones picked up the Russian's protest: “Because she is local, they can say whatever,” she told the chair umpire. “You took the game away from me,” she added, clearly upset.

Despite the setback, Pavlyuchenkova broke back—saving a set point—and managed to force a tiebreak, which she dominated. She then sealed the match in straight sets to move into the quarterfinals.