Martina Navratilova, a BBC pundit and former tennis champion, expressed strong frustration on Monday after Jelena Ostapenko abruptly halted play during her Wimbledon first-round match against Britain's Harriet Dart.
The incident occurred in the opening set as Ostapenko led.
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Dart had saved two set points and was serving at 2-5, 40-40 when Ostapenko raised her racket high to stop the serving motion.
Navratilova, commentating live, fumed: "Why is Ostapenko holding up her racket? Why is she holding it up?
[Huge groan]. Seriously!?"
She argued the umpire should have intervened, saying: "The umpire should have called her up on that.
There is no reason for Ostapenko to be holding up her racket."
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After a brief delay, play resumed and Ostapenko returned Dart's serve into the net, giving Dart the advantage.
The umpire then addressed spectators over the microphone regarding an audible disturbance.
"If you have your mobile phone with you can you please make sure it is switched off. Thank you," the umpire said.
Navratilova then revised her assessment: "Oh it's a mobile phone, that is so annoying. You rarely get that happening these days."
Dart secured the game with an ace on the next delivery, though Ostapenko won the opening set 6-3.
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Ostapenko entered the tournament after an injury retirement in the Eastbourne final against Tatjana Maria, while Dart had exited the same warm-up event against Zeynep Sonmez.
