Aryna Sabalenka called out the chair umpire for giving her a hindrance call early in her Australian Open semi-final clash with Elina Svitolina. The world No. 1 asked for a video review after Louise Azemar Engzell made the call. But the umpire stood by her decision, explaining that Sabalenka’s extended grunt affected Svitolina’s ability to hit the return.

Two-time former champion Sabalenka wasn’t happy, but she channelled that energy into the match and broke Svitolina in that game, going on to win in 76 minutes. And the top seed later hit out at Engzell’s decision – though admitted it also helped her.

“Oh, that’s actually never happened to me. Like, never happened to me, especially with my grunting, that it’s, like – I don’t know. It’s, like, it’s so off I think, and the way that, I don’t know, excel, it’s just because of – I don’t know. I don’t know how to explain it,” Sabalenka said.

“It’s just like the ball was deep. The ball was, like, the bounce was wrong, and it was just like the timing. I was excelling, and it just happened naturally. Then she called it, and I was, like, What? What is wrong with you?”

It gave Sabalenka some extra motivation, and she got the first of four breaks of the Svitolina serve. “I mean, I think it was the wrong call, but whatever. She really – how do I say in a nice way? She really p***ed me off, and it’s actually help me and benefit my game,” the four-time Grand Slam champion smiled.

“I was more aggressive. I was not happy with the call, and it really helped me to get that game. So if she ever wants to do it again, like, I want to make sure that she’s not afraid of it. Go ahead, call it. It’s going to help me.”

While contentious calls don’t always fire Sabalenka up, the world No. 1 explained that she tried not to worry about anything she couldn’t control. She continued: “I don’t know. I think today specifically it help me.

“I played better because I was more aggressive, but overall, if it’s not in my control, and it wasn’t in my control, I asked for the Video Review. She still made the same call.

“I thought there was [no] other person who is going to make the decision, so it was her, so I knew she’s not going to change her decision. If it’s something not in my control, I don’t care about that. I think that’s the right approach to these kinds of situations.”

The 27-year-old is now the first woman since Martina Hingis to reach four straight finals in Melbourne Park, something she never could have dreamed of. But she knows there is still work to be done. “I’m just doing my job. I’m trying to take it one day at a time, one point at a time, one game, one set, and that’s my focus, you know,” she said.