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New York Post
Emma Navarro slams opponent after Olympics loss: ‘Told her I didn’t respect her’
By Bradley Locker,
5 hours ago
It may not be a Grand Slam tournament, but that doesn’t mean the intensity isn’t carrying over into Olympic tennis competition.
American Emma Navarro didn’t hold back in ripping her opponent after losing to China’s Qinwen Zheng in the third round of women’s singles play from Roland Garros on Tuesday.
Following the conclusion of the three-hour match — which saw Zheng win 6-7, 7-6 and 6-1 — the pair reportedly had an intense confrontation at the net, which boiled over into postgame media comments.
Emma Navarro didn’t seem to enjoy facing off with Qinwen Zheng. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
“I just told her I didn’t respect her as a competitor,” the 23-year-old Navarro said. “I think she goes about things in a pretty cut-throat way. It makes for a locker room that doesn’t have a lot of camaraderie, so it’s tough to face an opponent like that, who I really don’t respect.”
The bitter remarks didn’t seem to faze Zheng, who holds the world’s No. 7 ranking.
“She told me she doesn’t know how I have a lot of fans,” Zheng, 21, said. “It looks like she’s not happy with my behavior towards her. If she’s not happy about my behavior, she can come and tell me. I would like to correct it to become a better player and a better person.”
Following the contentious marathon battle between the top-15 players, Zheng will take on Germany’s Angelique Kerber on Wednesday in the women’s singles quarterfinal.
Beyond this budding rivalry, the courts from Paris delivered additional headlines on Tuesday after American star Coco Gauff was upset by Croatia’s Donna Vekic.
The top remaining women’s competitors vying for gold include Kerber, Iga Swiatek, Zheng and Danielle Collins.
Poland’s Iga Swiatek looks to add Olympic gold to her impressive trophy case. AP
Neither reigning gold medalist Belinda Bencic nor 2016 winner Monica Puig are competing in the Paris Games, meaning there will be a new face to prevail in Olympic play.
For the latest in sports, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/sports/
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