Handshake Snub Mars Tamara Korpatsch's Biggest Grand Slam Win at French Open
Tamara Korpatsch reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time, but a disputed line call and a post-match confrontation with Wang Xinyu overshadowed her 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 victory at Roland Garros.
Surprise victory for Korpatsch
Germany's Tamara Korpatsch, ranked 95th, secured the biggest result of her career with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 upset of world No.34 Wang Xinyu in the second round of the French Open. Playing in bright sunshine with temperatures around 30°C, Korpatsch again wore sunglasses due to light sensitivity and stayed aggressive throughout the 2-hour-25-minute encounter. The Hamburg native, coached by her father, had never before advanced past the second round at a major.
On-court controversy
Tension began late in the first set when Wang disputed a line call after a rally gave Korpatsch a 5-2 lead and a set point. The chair umpire descended from her chair to inspect the ball mark and ruled the shot out. Wang then walked onto Korpatsch's side of the court to examine the mark herself, drawing a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct. Hawk‑Eye analysis later confirmed the ball was out.
The umpire went down to check the mark and it showed the ball was out. And the TV pictures show the Hawk‑Eye result, it was about 8 millimetres out. She came to my side because she didn't believe the decision.
Aftermath: No handshake
After match point, the players met at the net but did not shake hands. Instead, a heated exchange ensued before both walked off. Wang suggested that Korpatsch had shown the umpire a wrong mark, but Korpatsch insisted that both visible marks were out. Wang later apologised for the rules violation but did not offer a direct apology to Korpatsch.
We didn't shake hands because she said she was not satisfied with the mark decision. It wouldn't have been fair for me to just give her the point. I'm surprised because we actually got along really well; we're not enemies.
Expert reaction
Eurosport analyst and former German national coach Barbara Rittner described Wang's performance as a "very, very bad day" and praised Korpatsch for staying focused. Wang committed 65 unforced errors during the three sets. Rittner noted that Korpatsch "stayed brave, moved well, and kept using high spin balls."
Other German results
Eva Lys, Germany's other hope in the women's draw, crashed out 3-6, 0-6 to Romanian power-hitter Sorana Cirstea. Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev and Jan-Lennard Struff both advanced in the men's tournament.
Korpatsch will next face seventh-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina for a place in the last 16.
