The tournament leader remains on schedule despite Murray’s late-night marathon

Updated on 01/20/2023 at 11:45

• Andy Murray missed the tournament report by simply eight minutes: the legendary tennis participant defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis in a marathon match in Melbourne.
• The five-part thriller ends simply after 4 within the morning.
• Murray is not the one one complaining concerning the assembly.
• The tournament director takes his place.

More tennis information

Tournament director Craig Tiley believes there isn’t a must make changes to the Australian Open schedule despite Andy Murray being on the night time shift till 4 within the morning. “If you have solely acquired one sport scheduled for the night and there is an harm, you have acquired nothing for the followers or the TV,” Tiley informed Nine, including: “There’s no motive in the meanwhile. change schedule”.

At this 12 months’s Australian Open, the warmth, adopted by rain, drastically modified the competitors schedule. Many appointments needed to be postponed and made up for the following day.

Murray made historical past in opposition to Kokkinaki on the Australian Open

Two-time Olympic champion Murray defeated Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 7-5. “It’s been up and down. It’s been irritating, it has been tense, it has been thrilling, it has been all the pieces,” mentioned an exhausted Murray.

He has by no means been on the pitch earlier than. The match was the second longest in Australian Open historical past. The closing between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal In 2012, it was even longer, 5 hours and 53 minutes.

“I do not know who’s going to profit,” Murray mentioned. Glancing at his watch, he added, “After a match like this, we come right here, it is a dialogue.” It was a “little farce.”

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Murray additionally worries concerning the children’ sleep on the promenade

The Scots additionally mentioned it was too late for the ball boys. “If my child performed ball in a tournament and got here residence at 5 o’clock, we might struggle as mother and father.”

“We’ve been speaking about this for years,” mentioned Murray, who mentioned late video games do not profit the gang, the referees and naturally the gamers. these circumstances after which such issues will occur.”

During the sport, Murray complained that the referee was disrespected, and even that he was not allowed to go to the bathroom, given the circumstances of the match.

Boris Becker doesn’t think about the match schedule “affordable”.

An professional struggle happened within the Eurosport studio in Munich Boris Becker, himself a two-time Australian champion, is on Murray’s facet. “The query is whether or not it is sensible to play that lengthy. It’s a little bit of a aggressive distortion,” Becker mentioned. “Murray wins right here at 1 / 4 to 5 within the morning. Then there’s the cool-down and the press convention. He does not get to the lodge earlier than six or six-thirty—he does not even take into consideration going to mattress.”

Murray, nonetheless, Becker famous, “has at all times been a terrific fighter. It’s wonderful what Murray has performed right here in any case these accidents.” In the third spherical, Murray will face Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.

Andy Murray just isn’t deterred by hip alternative

Former world primary Murray is 35 and has undergone hip surgical procedure in 2018 and 2019. He performs with a man-made hip joint and has needed to take a number of lengthy layoffs in recent times because of associated complaints. In early 2019, Murray introduced his retirement from aggressive sports activities, however by no means finalized it.

Also learn: Extended break for injured Rafael Nadal

Martina Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam winner, wrote of Murray’s match in opposition to Kokkinakis that it was “loopy – no different sport” and that tennis has “good guidelines” when it comes to climate and discovering the beginning and finish instances for matches.

The day program in Melbourne begins at 11:00, the night occasion begins at 19:00. According to Tiley, two matches within the night periods are more likely to finish between 7pm and midnight. You “do not have many choices,” says Tiley, “and we’ve to do the video games in 14 days.” He additionally famous that different Grand Slam tournaments don’t begin early with matches. However, he promised that there might be an analysis after the tournament.

Also learn: The American celebrates too early in his sport

The late end of the night matches additionally sparked controversy on the French Open final 12 months. (sid/dpa/hau)

teaser picture: © REUTERS/Hana McKay