It’s never truly a Grand Slam without a touch of drama, and this time, it happened to Laura Siegemund. The German veteran, known for her fiery spirit, had battled past Liudmila Samsonova in the opening round after being a set down. But when she faced Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis on ANZ Arena, the match took an unexpected turn filled with tension and frustration.

During a crucial moment, the world No. 29 received a time violation from the chair umpire, sparking a heated exchange. Her frustration quickly surfaced as she gestured from the baseline, visibly vexed by the call and what she believed was unfair treatment.

“You gave me a serve miss?” Siegemund questioned sharply. The umpire replied, “On this one it’s different, okay?”

Visibly exasperated, Siegemund shot back, “Ah, okay. So if she’s not ready, it’s okay? It’s unbelievable. And if I don’t serve, you give me a missed serve? No, wait a minute. If I say she wasn’t ready, you will say you didn’t see it!”

The umpire explained, “She wasn’t ready, she had her hand up.” Siegemund countered, “I didn’t see it. I was just looking at the clock. And what do you want me to do in this situation then?” When the umpire advised her to “just carry on, watch the clock and do what you’re doing,” the German snapped back, “Oh, but if I serve an ace, I have to plead to your grace?”

On the other hand, it really was a hard-fought battle from both ends. Although in the end, the victory went to her opponent, Maddison Inglis, who won the final 10-point tiebreak and wrapped up the match at 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (10-7) after three hours and 20 minutes.

It marks her return to the R3 for the second time since 2022. Although there was drama on the court with Siegemund, the Aussie star had nothing but praise for the challenge the German brought to the court.

Laura Siegemund’s opponent shares high praise for her post-match

The world No.168 is proving that rankings mean little when belief kicks in. The Aussie underdog stunned the crowd after rallying from a breakdown in the final set to pull off a dramatic and unlikely win that lit up Melbourne Park.

“I didn’t come in with high expectations. I can take it to anyone on any given day, but I wouldn’t have dreamed of this,” Inglis admitted, flashing a grin after the match. “In the third set the crowd gave me the energy I didn’t think I had.”

When the third-set tiebreak rolled around, Inglis surged ahead 9-5, giving herself four match points and sending the crowd into a frenzy. Her fiance and fellow pro Jason Kubler watched on, ready to celebrate. Still, Laura Siegemund wasn’t going down easily.

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The German veteran fought back, saving two match points and forcing every rally to the limit. But serving at 9-7, Inglis finally closed it out with a gutsy overhead backhand volley before collapsing to the court, overwhelmed by the moment.

“She [Siegemund] would have been nervous, too,” Inglis said later, reflecting on her thrilling 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (10/7) victory. “I knew she wasn’t going to give it to me, she’s such a great competitor. I had to work for it. I’m really grateful it went my way.”

Now, as the last Australian left in the women’s draw, Inglis faces 16th seed Naomi Osaka in the next round. Meanwhile, Siegemund will turn her attention to doubles, teaming up with 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. Will they make a deep run together? Share your thoughts in the comments below!