Andy Murray blasts Wimbledon chiefs for ignoring plea ahead of Corentin Moutet US Open clash
Andy Murray has taken aim at Wimbledon chiefs ahead of the US Open
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Andy Murray has taken aim at Wimbledon chiefs after issuing a plea prior to the tournament.
The Brit crashed out to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round of the competition last month, going down 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-7, 4-6.
Murray was leading the third seed by two sets to one before the match was postponed due to the Wimbledon curfew.
The action then resumed the following day, with Tsitsipas ultimately reigning supreme by completing a dramatic turnaround.
Andy Murray has moaned about the tennis schedule ahead of his first match of the US Open
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Now, speaking ahead of his US Open showdown with Corentin Moutet, Murray has revealed he pleaded with Wimbledon chiefs not to be scheduled to play last on Centre Court.
And the 36-year-old is unhappy his request was ignored, saying: “I had multiple conversations before the start of the tournament and asked not to play the third match every single day because that’s what is going to happen with the 1.30 start and the breaks in between the matches.
“The roof, in my opinion, was there for when it rains – that there is always matches that can go on for the fans and for TV and everything and it’s great.
“It feels like it’s getting used now for darkness to play matches later in the evening and when you get that third slot you have no way of practising on an indoor grass court.
"It’s not possible. You spend your whole time preparing for Wimbledon – I skipped the French Open to prepare to play my best tennis at Wimbledon – but then you’re playing every match under different conditions than what you’re preparing for.”
Murray is no stranger to late matches.
The former world No 1 beat Thanasi Kokkinakis at the Australian Open earlier in the year at 4.05am.
He then struggled to recover for his third-round match just over a day later.
And Murray is unhappy that tournaments allow matches to run so late.
Murray also said over the weekend that late matches were 'not good for anyone'.
“I think it’s just generally not good for anyone," he said.
"Obviously, when the players complain about that stuff, you sort of hear, ‘oh, shut up and get on with it’ or ‘try working in a warehouse from 9 to 5.'
“It’s like, yeah, I get that. I do get that.
"I know I’m fortunate to be playing tennis, but playing at four in the morning – tennis is also partly entertainment – I don’t think it helps the sport that much when you know everyone’s leaving because they have to go and get public transport home and you finish a match like that in front of 10 per cent of the crowd.
“You don’t see it in other sports. It’s clearly wrong.
"And the reason for it is purely financial, it’s not because the people that are running the events believe that it’s good for the players, they don’t.
"It’s a financial reason for why they’re doing it.”
Murray has made two US Open finals during his career so far as he prepares for his match with Moutet on Tuesday.
He was beaten by Roger Federer in four sets back in 2012, with the Swiss maestro winning 6–2, 7–5, 6–2 to secure the title.
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Andy Murray will go up against Corentin Moutet at the US Open on Tuesday
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But Murray won the prize four years later, overcoming Novak Djokovic to become the first British Grand Slam champion since Fred Perry.