Novak Djokovic believes “issues might have been dealt with in a different way” after successful his French Open third spherical match at 3:07 a.m. (0107 GMT) Sunday as US star Coco Gauff warned that gamers’ well being was being put in danger. Defending champion and 24-time Grand Slam title winner Djokovic got here from two units to 1 right down to defeat Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 6-7 (6/8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 in a conflict which solely began simply earlier than 10:45 p.m. (2045 GMT) on Saturday. It was simply the newest end to a French Open tie and got here after organisers squeezed in further matches onto the 2 principal present courts, which each have retractable roofs, to counter the scheduling chaos attributable to a seventh day of rain in Paris.
“I do not need to get into this debate,” stated Djokovic initially earlier than including: “I believe sure issues might have been dealt with in a different way.
“There’s a sure magnificence in successful the match at three within the morning if it was the final of the match, however this is not the case.”
Djokovic’s four-hour 29-minute victory allowed the 37-year-old world primary to equal Roger Federer’s file of 369 Grand Slam match wins.
“Bodily, I actually went to my limits to win this match. Once you play rallies of greater than 20 pictures, at two within the morning… Who performs at two within the morning?” he added. “We play few matches in our life at the moment. The circumstances have been very heavy, it was very chilly. You did not have many free factors behind your serve.”
Djokovic should now recuperate to face Argentinian twenty third seed Francisco Cerundolo within the spherical of 16 on Monday after avoiding what would have been his earliest exit on the French Open in 15 years.
“I positively suppose it isn’t wholesome,” stated ladies’s world quantity three and US Open champion Gauff.
‘Not honest’
“It could be not honest for many who should play late as a result of it does smash your schedule.
“I positively suppose for the well being and security of the gamers it could be within the sport’s finest curiosity to attempt to keep away from these matches beginning after a sure time.”
Gauff defined {that a} 3:00 a.m. end did not imply the top of a participant’s dedication for the day as a match is normally adopted by bodily recuperation and media duties.
“In order that’s in all probability not going to mattress till 5:00 on the earliest, possibly 6:00, and even 7:00,” stated the American.
Girls’s world primary Iga Swiatek stated night time periods want to begin earlier for the sake of the general public in addition to gamers.
“I do not know if the followers are watching these matches in the event that they should go to work subsequent day or one thing when the matches are ending at 2:00 or 3:00 a.m.,” stated the defending champion.
“It is lower than us. We have to settle for something that’s going to return to us.”
In stark distinction to Djokovic’s marathon efforts, Swiatek reached the quarter-finals on Sunday with a 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Anastasia Potapova in simply 40 minutes on the identical Courtroom Philippe Chatrier.
Regardless of his reluctance to play late into the night time, Djokovic’s stamina and tenacity have been broadly praised.
“Djokovic is like LeBron James at 39, he fights till the top, he provides every thing and he loves it, it is unbelievable to see,” John McEnroe advised NBC.
“I am not kidding, this man seemed higher bodily than he did initially of the match.”
The Australian Open in Melbourne holds the Grand Slam file for the newest end — in 2008, Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis performed a match till 4:34 a.m.
On the US Open in New York, the file is 2:50 a.m. in 2022 when Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner.
Wimbledon operates a strict 11 p.m. curfew with the 2012 conflict between Andy Murray and Baghdatis ending at a extra mild 11:02 p.m.
Alcaraz stated he prefers to complete his matches by the night, not the early hours.
“I do not like night time periods, we finish so late, press convention, physio, ice tub,” stated the world quantity three and Wimbledon champion after making the quarter-finals on Sunday afternoon.
“For me it is significantly better to complete at 6:00. Every little thing is best in case you end early.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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