Pavlyuchenkova moves past tech glitch, into last 8

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova overcame a line-calling technology malfunction on a key point en route to defeating local favorite Sonay Kartal 7-6 (3), 6-4 on Sunday to make her second Wimbledon quarterfinal nine years after her first appearance.

Pavlyuchenkova last made the quarterfinals at the All England Club in 2016, when she lost to eventual champion Serena Williams. The nine-year span between Wimbledon quarterfinal appearances is tied for the second longest by any woman in the Open era, after Svetlana Kuznetsova went 10 years between her appearances in 2007 and 2017.

"I always thought I was not good enough on grass, so this is incredible for me. Especially with me getting older, I am so impressed and proud for competing with the younger girls," the 34-year-old Pavlyuchenkova said in her on-court interview.

Pavlyuchenkova, the 2021 French Open runner-up, won in straight sets despite the Hawk-Eye system deactivating at an inopportune time and tough conditions that necessitated the closing of the Centre Court roof.

Pavlyuchenkova was serving and had a game point late in the first set when Kartal hit a backhand that landed beyond the opposite baseline -- clearly out, TV replays showed. But there was no sound from the automated line-calling technology -- adopted by the All England Club for the first time this year to replace line judges -- and Pavlyuchenkova stopped play.

Chair umpire Nico Helwerth delayed play while he made a phone call from his stand and decided to have a do-over on the point at 4-all, much to the dismay of Pavlyuchenkova.

An All England Club spokesman explained after the match: "Due to operator error, the system was deactivated on the point in question. The chair umpire followed the established process."

When play eventually resumed, Pavlyuchenkova missed a forehand on the replay, then lost the game a few points later.

"Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me," a fuming Pavlyuchenkova told Helwerth at the changeover after the game ended.

Pavlyuchenkova recovered, however, saving a set point when Kartal served at 5-4, and then winning 15 of the final 23 points to take the opening set.

"My mental toughness is getting better," Pavlyuchenkova said after the match. "I used to be a little bit crazy in my head! But now I am learning to fight point by point."

Kartal said she couldn't see where her shot went.

"That situation is a rarity. I don't think it's really ever happened -- if it has. It's tough. What can you do? The umpire's trying his best in that situation, and he handled it fine," Kartal said. "I think the system just malfunctioned a little bit, and the fairest way was what he did: replay the point."