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Maria Sakkari and Danielle Collins got into a heated moment during their Montreal second-round meeting after the American wanted the chair umpire to sanction the Greek for sending the ball into the crowd. Early in the second set, Sakkari sent a ball flying into the sends - it didn't hit anyone and the Greek instantly apologized.
The chair umpire didn't react but Collins had something to say as she was heard telling the chair umpire: “Did you just see that? Did you see what happened?” After hearing Collins complain about her action, Sakkari responded: “It didn’t even hit anyone.
It was on the ground”. Collins then had a strong message for Sakkari: “Shut your mouth. Shut your mouth”. Sakkari then proceeded to ask Collins what was her problem, saying: “What is your problem? I didn’t hit anyone.
I framed the ball and it…” Collins then explained to Sakkari why she complained about her act: “You hit the ball into the stands, Maria. You almost hit someone”. Sakkari responded by once again repeating her previous message: “What is your problem? I didn’t hit anyone”.
The chair umpire then stepped up and manage to defuse the situation and the play continued.
Tense moment at WTA 1000 Montreal tonight between Sakkari and Collins.
I agree with Collins here--the officials need to be way stricter on players recklessly smacking the ball and throwing racquets into the stands.
Should be no looking the other way when that happens.pic.twitter.com/fpsA6MSnm2 — Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) August 10, 2023
Collins beat Sakkari in two sets
The incident happened early in the second set, and after that, Collins went on to beat Sakkari 6-4 6-2.
Collins, who won two qualifying matches in Montreal to reach the main draw, started the match by opening an early 3-0 lead against No 8 seed Sakkari. In the sixth game, Collins broke Sakkari again to take a 5-1 lead. Down by a double break, Sakkari responded by earning back-to-back breaks in the seventh and ninth games to cut the deficit to 4-5.
But in the 10th game - when Sakkari was serving to stay in the first set - Collins broke the Greek to seal the opener. In the second set, Sakkari broke Collins in the first game before the American earned back-to-back breaks to take a 3-1 lead. Sakkari got the break back in the fifth game but Collins then won the next three games to complete a two-set win.