Former British tennis champion Andy Murray strongly criticised the decision to close Wimbledon's Centre Court roof during the quarter-final between Grigor Dimitrov and Jannik Sinner.
Murray took to social media platform X to express his frustration at the timing of the closure.
"So ridiculous to close the roof at this stage of the match. At least an hour of light left.well over a set of tennis can still be played..its an outdoor tournament!" he posted.
The three-time Grand Slam winner's comments came as officials announced the roof closure due to fading light, causing a ten-minute delay to the match proceedings.
Andy Murray won Wimbledon on two occasions: 2013 and 2016GettyThe roof closure occurred at a crucial juncture in the match, with Bulgarian player Dimitrov holding a commanding two-set advantage over the world's top-ranked player.
The umpire's announcement confirmed that the decision was made due to deteriorating light conditions, with floodlights to be activated following the roof closure. The enforced break came at a particularly significant moment, as Sinner had maintained an unblemished record throughout the tournament without dropping a single set until facing Dimitrov.
JUST IN: Jannik Sinner shows his class after Grigor Dimitrov retires Wimbledon clash in heartbreaking fashionThe Italian found himself in unfamiliar territory, trailing by two sets in what was developing into a major upset at the All England Club.
The match came to an abrupt and distressing end when Dimitrov suffered what appeared to be a pectoral injury, forcing him to retire from the contest.
In emotional scenes on Centre Court, world number one Sinner fought back tears as he assisted his injured opponent off the court.
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Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire after being two sets up
ReutersDimitrov's withdrawal marked another setback in what has been a challenging period for the Bulgarian player, who has battled multiple injury problems at recent Grand Slam tournaments.
Following the match, Sinner delivered an emotional assessment of the situation, refusing to celebrate what would typically be considered a semi-final qualification.
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"I don't take this as a win at all. This is just a very unfortunate moment for us to witness for all of us," the Italian stated.
He praised Dimitrov as "an incredible player and good friend of mine" whilst acknowledging his opponent's recent injury struggles.
Jannik Sinner was left visibly emotional after witnessing the injury
Reuters"In the last Grand Slams, he struggled a lot with injury and seeing this now again, with this type of injury it's very tough," Sinner said.
The world number one added that Dimitrov "would deserve" to progress if able, calling the retirement "very sad" and "not the end we wanted to see."
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