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Navratilova Defends Tennis Player's Controversial Net Shot
5 Sep
Summary
- Martina Navratilova clarified rules about hitting a ball over the net.
- Jiri Lehecka's shot followed Stefanos Tsitsipas's ball bouncing on his side.
- ITF rules permit hitting the ball over the net after a bounce on player's side.
Martina Navratilova has stepped in to defend tennis player Jiri Lehecka against accusations of an illegal shot during his recent US Open match. Lehecka faced scrutiny for a play at the net against Stefanos Tsitsipas, where he hit the ball after it bounced on his side and then reached over the net.
Navratilova clarified that according to International Tennis Federation rules, a player is allowed to strike the ball on the opponent's side of the net, provided it has first bounced on their own side. She emphasized that Lehecka's shot was legal, correcting those who questioned it online.
Despite the controversy, Lehecka was eliminated from the tournament by Tsitsipas. Meanwhile, Tsitsipas advanced to face Ben Shelton in the next round in New York.
