Tennis: Murray-Kokkinakis 4am finish defended by Australian Open boss
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Britain's Andy Murray (L) greets Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis after winning their men's singles match on day four of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 20, 2023. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE --
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MELBOURNE – Australian Open chief Craig Tiley insisted on Friday there was “no need” to alter scheduling at the tournament, despite stinging criticism after the second-latest match finish at a Grand Slam.
Andy Murray battled through a five-set epic
“I don’t know who it’s beneficial for. A match like that, and we’re discussing the time rather than it being like an epic match,” the 35-year-old Briton said, after the 5hr 45min spectacle, the longest of his career.
“Amazingly, people stayed until the end. Some people need to work the following day and everything. If my child was a ball kid for a tournament, they’re coming home at five in the morning. As a parent, I’m snapping at that.
“It’s not beneficial for them. It’s not beneficial for the officials. I don’t think it’s amazing for the fans. It’s not good for the players.”
The latest finish in the Open era was also at the Australian Open, in 2008, when Lleyton Hewitt outlasted Marcos Baghdatis in a third-round clash that ended at 4.34am.
Tennis great Martina Navratilova said “no other sport does this”.
“It is essential we create better rules in tennis regarding... starting times or cut-off times for matches,” she tweeted.
Former Grand Slam champion turned commentator John McEnroe added: “I am stunned in disbelief that they were still playing at that hour. It was insane that matches at that level are played 4 to 4.30am in the morning.”
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley.
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Murray’s brother Jamie, a doubles specialist who is also playing at Melbourne Park, joined the chorus of criticism, saying it was time to move to just one match in night sessions at Grand Slams.
“We can’t continue to have players compete into the wee hours of the morning. Rubbish for everyone involved,” he tweeted.
But Tiley said it was part and parcel of the opening Grand Slam of the year and it did not happen often.
“You would expect from 7pm to 12am (the evening session) in that five-hour window, you would get two matches,” he told broadcaster Channel Nine.
“We also have to protect the matches. If you just put one match at night and there’s an injury, you don’t have anything for fans or broadcasters.
“At this point, there is no need to alter the schedule. We’ve had long matches before... we’ve got to fit the matches into the 14 days, so you don’t have many options.”
AFP, REUTERS
