Shapovalov cries foul play

MELBOURNE • Denis Shapovalov yesterday said his Australian Open quarter-final opponent Rafael Nadal "100 per cent" receives preferential treatment from officials and benefited from favouritism after the Spaniard's five-set victory.

The Canadian 14th seed, making his first appearance in the last eight in Melbourne, rallied from two sets down to level against the 20-time Grand Slam champion.

However, the world No. 5 prevailed in the deciding set to win 6-3,6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena yesterday.

Nadal will next take on seventh seed Matteo Berrettini, last season's Wimbledon finalist, tomorrow as he bids to make his sixth Australian Open final appearance.

Berrettini, the first Italian to make the last four here, was also taken to five sets by Frenchman Gael Monfils before emerging with a 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-2 win.

Shapovalov was unhappy he could not make the semi-final of a Major for the second time after last year's run at Wimbledon.

During the match, the 22-year-old directed his frustration at chair umpire Carlos Bernardes for not handing Nadal, 35, a court violation for taking too much time between points. Players are allowed 25 seconds between shots and two minutes between sets, all timed by a shot clock.

"Are you kidding me? You guys are all corrupt," he fumed.

Shapovalov later said his comments were in the heat of the moment but still felt the officiating was skewed.

"I misspoke when I said he's corrupt or whatever I said," he added. "It's definitely emotional but I do stand by my side. I think it's unfair, you know, how much Rafa is getting away with.

"There's got to be some boundaries, some rules set. It's just so frustrating as a player. You know, you feel like you're not just playing against the player. You're playing against the umpires, you're playing against so much more.

"I'm not trying to take away anything they've done, they're great champions, they're the legends of the game. But at the end of the day, when you step on the court it should be equal for everyone."

Nadal, who is on course for a men's record 21st Slam, refuted those claims, insisting he never felt he had an advantage on court.

"It's always in the mind that the top players get bigger advantages," said the 2009 Australian Open winner. "And honestly on court, (it) is not true... I never feel that I had advantages on court, and I really believe that he's wrong in that case."

In the women's draw, top seed and home favourite Ashleigh Barty accelerated her march towards a maiden Australian Open title with a masterclass against Jessica Pegula.

The world No. 1 won 6-2, 6-0 in just 63 minutes to ease into the last four for just the second time in Melbourne, where she will face another American in Madison Keys, who upset French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 6-2.

While Keys is unseeded and ranked 50 places below her, she is crafty and experienced, having made the Melbourne semi-finals in 2015. She is also a player on form, riding a 10-match unbeaten run, including the WTA Adelaide 2 title.

Barty fell at this stage in 2020 but since then, the two-time Slam champion is now more confident of living up to the pressure of bidding to become the first Australian women's singles champion since Chris O'Neil 44 years ago.

"I have grown as a person. I have grown as a player. I feel like I am a more complete player," Barty said.

Separately, organisers yesterday reversed their stance on their crackdown on "Where is Peng Shuai?" T-shirts in the face of criticism.

The Chinese doubles player has been the subject of concern for her well-being after she posted on social media last year she had been sexually assaulted by a former top Communist Party official, before retracting her claims.

Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley said he would allow the T-shirt protests to carry on as long as they do not "start being disruptive".

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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