PARIS (AP) Francesca Schiavone stood over the ball mark, staring down at the white line and red clay in disbelief as her chances to retain her French Open title slowly slipped away.
The chair umpire had just ruled that Li Na's shot touched the line, erasing what Schiavone thought would be her first set point - and only third break point - of the match.
From then on, Schiavone didn't win another point.
That ball was out,'' Schiavone said after losing the final 6-4, 7-6 (0) Saturday at Roland Garros.So what do you do? You're playing tennis, you have to go back to playing tennis and think about what you need to do.
``Obviously, I think it was a big mistake. But it's up to the tournament and others to watch that match again and evaluate the call.''
For the gritty Italian, that was the moment when her hopes of staging a comeback blew away like the dust under her feet.
She put a backhand into the net on the next point, allowing Li to even the second set score to 6-6. The Chinese player, the first from her country to win a Grand Slam singles title, then won all seven points in the tiebreaker.
But minutes earlier, with Schiavone leading 6-5, 40-40 on Li's serve, her opponent's backhand sailed across the court and was called out by the line judge, giving the Italian a crucial break point.
Li disagreed, and chair umpire Louise Engzell came to investigate. She and Schiavone stood over the line pointing at the spot for several seconds, arguing where the ball landed.
Engzell had the final decision, and called it in.
If the ball is out, I call it out. If the ball is in, it's in,'' Schiavone said.That's what they (taught) me when I was young, and that's what I want to teach to the kids in the future. So if I call the ball out, the (probability) that I make a mistake is really low. So if you explain (to) me that this is the mark and that the ball is out ... I can believe you. But that ball, no.''
Because the ball leaves a mark on the clay, the French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament that doesn't use an electronic challenge system to check contentious calls. That leaves the players to plead their case to the chair umpire and take their chances.
What do I have to say? The truth, or do I have to joke?'' Schiavone said.One call can't make the difference so much, but in that moment, you have to really check the ball. That's what I'm contesting.''
DOUBLES TROUBLE: Mitchell Krueger and Shane Vinsant, fresh off a loss in the boys doubles final at the French Open, are already thinking ahead.
The American teens lost to Roberto Carballes Baena and Andres Artunedo Martinavarr of Spain 5-7, 7-6 (5), 10-5 Saturday at Roland Garros.
It makes us more hungry for another final to win it next time, especially with Wimbledon coming up and then the U.S. Open after that,'' Krueger said.I definitely want to get back to it because I think we have the potential to win it.''
In the girls doubles final, second-seeded Irina Khromacheva and Maryna Zanevska of Russia defeated Victoria Kan of Russia and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands 6-4, 7-5.
FUTURE FEDERER: Marko Osmakcic, a 12-year-old from Zurich, Switzerland, beat Artem Dubrivniy of Russia on Saturday to win the Longines Futures Tennis Aces World Championship, an event that included 16 boys aged 12 or younger - one from each of 16 countries.
Afterward, Osmakcic and Dubrivniy got to play an exhibition doubles match with past French Open champions Andre Agassi and Jim Courier.
``They just seem a lot better than I was at 12. A lot,'' Courier said.
Agassi was presented with a check by Longines for $100,000 for his foundation, and he talked about his efforts to help set up 75 charter schools for about 40,000 students around the United States over the next three or four years.
``That's what I've been giving my heart, mind and soul to,'' said Agassi, who retired in 2006 with eight Grand Slam titles.