Andy Murray blasts Wimbledon organisers over controversial decision before Grigor Dimitrov is forced to retire on brink of upset against Jannik Sinner
Published: | Updated:
Andy Murray criticised Wimbledon organisers over the decision to close the roof during Jannik Sinner's match against Grigor Dimitrov.
The last-16 clash, which was taking place on Centre Court, saw the world No 1 enjoy a lucky escape, with the Italian two sets down when Dimitrov was forced to retire due to injury.
That came after a pause in play ahead of the third set when Wimbledon chiefs chose to shut the roof at around 8.30PM, leading to a delay of around 13 minutes.
The break appeared to suit Sinner, whose performance improved when the match resumed, before disaster struck for Dimitrov.
He first held his pec after hitting a volley long on his serve in the fourth game of the set. And even though he then struck an ace to win the game, he clutched his pec and dropped to the floor, before the Bulgarian was sadly unable to continue.
And Murray was left angered by the roof decision at the time of its closure and took to social media to express his frustration.
Andy Murray blasted Wimbledon over the decision to close the roof during on Tuesday
With Jannik Sinner two sets down to Grigor Dimitrov, officials decided to close the roof
Shortly afterwards, the Bulgarian was forced to retire in disappointing scenes on Centre Court
'So ridiculous to close the roof at this stage of the match,' he posted on X. 'At least an hour of light left. Well over a set of tennis can still be played. It's an outdoor tournament.'
The decision to close the roof came with the light fading and Wimbledon generally attempt to take a proactive approach to these matters to ensure that a lengthy pause is not taken at a tense moment of play.
It has previously been reported how closing the roof on Centre Court does have an impact on play, particularly in terms of creating a more humid environment and altering ball conditions, which can suit certain playing styles.
Sinner and Dimitrov were granted a short warm-up window following the delay, but some questioned whether the break had contributed to the Bulgarian's injury, and he was subsequently left in tears upon his retirement.
Murray's criticism of the tournament continues what has been a chaotic period for Wimbledon chiefs, with the likes of Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper among those to question the AI line-calling system, where things came to a head in Sonay Kartal's clash with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Sunday.
Elsewhere, the British legend's thoughts on the roof closure were echoed by BBC pundit John McEnroe.
He said: 'They should have played a third set [before closing the roof] because there was 45 minutes to an hour left.'
However, Tim Henman, who also works for the BBC, took the opposing view and felt the decision to close the roof was needed ahead of such a crucial time in the game.
Murray expressed his frustration at the decision to close the roof in a post on social media
Dimitrov (above) and Sinner faced a lengthy pause before the third set could get underway
Tennis legend John McEnroe echoed Murray's thoughts, although Tim Henman did disagree
'I don't think [they could have played a whole set before nightfall] on Centre Court,' he said.
'Outside it will be brighter but inside there is less light so they probably could have played six games, get to sort of quarter to nine, then it gets dark. But they try to shut the roof at a convenient time.'
Meanwhile, despite his lucky escape, Sinner made sure to pay tribute to his opponent after the game.
'I don't take this as a win at all,' he said. 'This is just a very unfortunate moment for us to witness for all of us.
'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.
'We all saw his reaction, how much he cares about tennis. He's one of the most hard-working players on the tour.
'It's very unfortunate. This is not the end we wanted to see and it's very sad. We all wish him the best.'
Daily Mail
