Aryna Sabalenka gets phone out mid-match in very peculiar scenes as umpire 'p*****'

booked her spot in the by cruising past Elise Mertens in a 6-4 6-1 victory on Saturday. However, the world No. 1's triumph didn't come without controversy after a disagreement over a line call sparked a spat involving chair umpire Miriam Bley.

Sabalenka outclassed Mertens in their 11th meeting after facing a prolonged wait to start her campaign in Germany. She was slated to face Anastasia Potapova in the second round before the Russian's withdrawal, yet that didn't prevent her from displaying dominance on Centre Court. But there was an edgy moment between Sabalenka and the chair umpire as the pair argued over a line call the former believed was incorrect.

The 26-year-old asked Miriam to review the mark of a ball that she was convinced was incorrectly called, but she wasn't satisfied with the response.

Sabalenka then took it upon herself to collect her phone and take a photo of the mark in a clear show of disdain over Miriam's call.

There were no issues from there as she soared to victory, and after the match, she admitted that she could tell the chair umpire was annoyed by her actions.

"I felt how the referee was p*****, probably by the picture I took," Sabalenka explained in the post-match interview.

"When I gave her a handshake, there was a very interesting look and a very strong handshake. I've never had it before."

Sabalenka landed a further jab on Miriam when asked whether she returned the favour and squeezed her hand back.

She replied: "No, it's okay, why would I play this game with someone like her? It's okay."

Sabalenka will face Jasmine Paolini for a place in the Stuttgart final after the Italian beat Coco Gauff 6-4 6-4 later in the day.

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