In three days, she went through it all. A qualification in the 8th finals thanks to the forfeit of Elena Rybakina Saturday morning, a disqualification of her doubles opponents after a ball in the head of a collector Sunday and a defeat in the third longest match in the history of women at Roland-Garros (3h51 of play) on Monday. "If I'm honest, it's a lot of emotions," smiles Sara Sorribes Tormo, 132, 26nd player in the world, whose best Grand Slam result so far was a 3rd round at the US Open.
In a press conference after her defeat of the day, the young woman from the region of Valencia (Spain) was however assailed with questions on the second theme, that of the disqualification of her opponents of the day before. Because, despite the involuntary side of the ball received by the collector after a racket hit by the Japanese Miyu Kato, Sara Sorribes Tormo and her Czech teammate Marie Bouzkova have long negotiated with the chair umpire, as if to insist on a disqualification.
An attitude noticed by many observers, including the French Alizé Cornet, who thinks that the tournament was wrong and that he owes an apology to the Japanese Miyu Kato. "I honestly mean it: we didn't do anything wrong," Sorribes Tormo said. It touches me that people talk about this moment like that or think these things about me. It was really a very uncomfortable situation yesterday, for Mary and for me." Even more for Miyu Kato, invited to a press conference on Monday but who left the room in tears, even before speaking.
A scene that took place after the media appointment of Sara Sorribes Tromo, invited to give her version of the facts. "We were concerned about what happened to the little girl. She was crying, the referee was told. She hadn't seen anything. So it was explained that the little girl had been shot in the head and, from there, all the decisions were made by the supervisor." Who made a harsher decision than just the referee's warning.
"The rule is the rule," says Sara Sorribes Tormo. I told Mary: if she or I do it, we have to leave. There are people involved around a game and we have to respect them too. You can't let a little girl have a panic attack like that and let her cry for twenty minutes... But if anyone wants to talk about this game, let them do it having seen everything, really. I think it changes the point of view."
A message addressed to his opponents who would also have lacked fair play according to the Spaniard. Asked about the comments received on social networks, Sara Sorribes Tormo said she had not read anything: "I've always said it, I don't like social networks very much. I didn't go yesterday and it probably helped me not to lose energy."
Did she expect to be booed or jostled by the audience on Monday? "I was a little scared this morning but I didn't hear any criticism. On the contrary. We didn't feel anything from people." And for his next doubles match, the quarter-final, scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m. on the Lenglen? "People who saw Sunday's game won't think badly. I'm sure. And those who saw the game the other day will be there tomorrow. Those who are in front of their television commenting will not come," she concludes.
