LONDON: Dominika Cibulkova overcame a delay caused by a controversial decision from the umpire to advance to the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Hsieh Su-Wei.
Leading 5-4 and two points away from taking the first set at 0-30 on Hsieh’s serve, Cibulkova struck a backhand onto the baseline that was called out.
Hsieh returned the ball over the net and into the court as Cibulkova immediately challenged. After the review confirmed the ball landed on the line, umpire Juan Zhang of China awarded the point to Cibulkova.
Hsieh protested, leading the match referee to come on to discuss the decision with the umpire as calls of “replay the point” came from a bemused crowd on Court 18.
After seven minutes, the decision was finally changed and the point replayed. The reprieve was only momentary for Hsieh, as Cibulkova regained her composure to break and take the first set 6-4.
Cibulkova went on to advance to a third Wimbledon quarter-final, following 2011 and 2016.
Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko swept into her second Wimbledon quarter-final with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-0 win against Belarusian world number 50 Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Monday.
Latvian 12th seed Ostapenko came from 2-5 down in the first set to finish off Sasnovich, who had stunned two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the first round.
Ostapenko takes on Slovakian world number 33 Dominika Cibulkova or Taiwanese world number 48 Hsieh Su-Wei for a place in the semi-finals.
The 21-year-old also made the last eight at Wimbledon in 2017, just weeks after winning her maiden Grand Slam title in Paris.
