Former French Open runner-up Sara Errani has accused opponent Kiki Bertens of exaggerating injury, after losing a fierce three-hour second-round clash at Roland Garros.
Dutch fifth seed Bertens left court in a wheelchair, screaming in pain, after saving a match point and seeming close to collapse with cramp near the end of her 7-6(5) 3-6 9-7 win.
Playing in her first Grand Slam main draw for two years after a doping ban, Errani left court screaming Italian expletives, after three times failing to serve out the match and squandering a match point at 6-5.
She stormed away without a word or a racket tap with a distressed Bertens. The Belgian, who was previously 0-5 against Errani, then slumped in her courtside chair, before she suffered full body cramps and needed to be wheeled away.
But she received no sympathy from Errani.
"I don't like, you know, when somebody is joking on you," she says. "She played an amazing match, but I don't like the situation.
"One hour she's injured, then she runs forever. I don't like that.
"Now she's in the locker room perfect, in the restaurant. I don't think she did a good attitude on court."
The 33-year-old Errani denies swearing at Bertens, who says she was disappointed by Errani's comments.
"It's not nice to hear, of course not, but for me, I don't want to try to take it too personal, because I understand her frustrations," says Bertens. "I think she's frustrated with herself that she could not close out that match."
Bertens says she was cramping in the left leg, right foot and both hands in the closing stages of the match, and needed 45 minutes of intense massage afterwards to recover.
She hit back at Errani's suggestion she was faking injury.
"For me, she can say whatever she feels like, but then maybe I should take some more acting classes or should pursue a career in that. I'm not sure what she's thinking.
"I didn't feel really good on court, to be honest. The cramps were coming and going again, so I felt like I had to stay calm and not get pumped too much, because all the time when I did the fist pump, I could not use my fingers any more."
The women's title is up for grabs, after Serena Williams withdrew from the tournament with an Achilies injury and US Open runner up Victoria Azarenka lost in straight sets to unseeded Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2 6-2.
Elsewhere, Romanian top seed Simona Halep beat compatriot Irina-Camelia Begu 6-3 6-4, while Belgian 16th seed Elise Mertens beat Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-4 7-5.
Reuters
