A top tennis commentator has called for an Australian Open tradition to be scrapped after Zheng Qinwen was caught up in cruel scenes after her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s singles final on Saturday night.
While TV viewers saw the two-time champion celebrating and watched replays of the crucial points in the match, Zheng was left to contemplate her defeat by herself as she waited for a stage to be constructed for the trophy ceremony.
Catherine Whitaker, host of The Tennis Podcast, saw what the Chinese underdog went through and came away thoroughly unimpressed.
‘Poor Zheng Qinwen, who had to sit with her face in her towel while they knocked up a stage on the Rod Laver Arena on which to conduct the ceremony,’ she said.
‘All the other [grand] slams do this, apart from Wimbledon, who just do a carpet and a line-up of ball kids.
‘You don’t need a stage, guys.
The aftermath of her loss to Aryna Sabalenka (right) in the Open final was tough enough for Zheng Qinwen (left) without the lead-up to the trophy ceremony adding insult to injury
The Chinese star was clearly shattered as she was left to contemplate the biggest loss of her professional career by herself as a makeshift stage was built at Rod Laver Arena
‘It [the stage] was just a big “AO”. I know it’s the privilege of us being in the stadium and you know, we don’t have all the slow-mos [slow-motion replays] and the punditry that people at home are watching during that period.
‘To us it’s more stark because we’re just sitting there watching a devastated player on a chair while a load of dignitaries are standing at the side and a bunch of hench young men erect pieces of furniture, and then crawl on top of the pieces of furniture and start polishing.
‘It does look pretty weird when you take yourself out of it for a moment.’
Whitaker’s co-host Matt Roberts chimed in with ‘petition to stop that’ as he called for the tradition to be dumped.
After the trophy ceremony was over, a shattered Zheng admitted she didn’t play to her full ability but promised to return and attempt to go one better in Melbourne.
‘I didn’t perform my best. That’s a real pity for me, because I really want to show better than that.’
She lamented an early blip, losing her opening serve, and was then unable to take advantage of three break points to put the set back on serve.
Leading tennis commentator Catherine Whitaker and her co-host Matt Roberts called for the Australian Open to follow Wimbledon’s lead and do away with the stage (pictured) in future
TV viewers didn’t get to see Zheng endure her lonely aftermath to the match as the broadcast switched to Sabalenka’s overjoyed celebrations and replays of crucial parts of the contest
‘I think in this match I’m start pretty slow,’ Zheng said.
‘The difference is the beginning, I can’t hold the service game. Then later on, when I got the chance to break her 40-love up and I’m not able to make it.
‘You know, that little moment makes the match so different.
‘She’s a really aggressive player and if you let a chance go, it will happen like today.’
Zheng’s consolation is a rise from 15th in the rankings to world No.7, a career-high pay-day of $1.725 million and an army of new fans.
Reaching her first-ever grand slam final, topping her previous best of a quarter-final loss to Sabalenka at the US Open, Zheng said the Australian Open had been a tournament to remember.
She topped Melbourne Park’s tally for aces, sending down 54 – exactly double the next best woman, which happened to be Sabalenka.
Zheng (pictured with Sabalenka) has promised to return to Melbourne and go one better after falling at the last hurdle
Zheng said she would reflect on her performance to try to do even better in the future.
‘I really enjoyed to play in this Australian Open,’ she said.
‘That was an amazing memory for me and I’m sure there’s going to be more and better in the future.
‘Maybe I have to work more on my tennis, also work more on my mental side, work more on myself to be able to through this moment.
‘Because if you lose, there must be reason behind why you lose, and we have to try to figure out why.
‘I think I can learn more with the loss today, and then I just hope next time I can come back as a better tennis player and come back stronger.’