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Former U.S. Open champion Andy Murray was fuming towards the tip of his first-round loss to No. 3 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas on Monday — and properly afterwards — over what he seen as an unethically lengthy rest room break earlier than the decisive fifth set. Tsitsipas additionally took a medical timeout after dropping the third set to Murray to have the trainers have a look at a foot damage.
Instantly after the toilet break, which clocked in at roughly eight minutes, Tsitsipas broke Murray’s serve and held on for an eventual 2-6, 7-6 (9-7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory. Murray complained loudly about it to the chair umpire all through the fifth set and supplied an icy handshake on the web following match level.
Even after cooling down briefly within the locker room, Murray didn’t hesitate to unload on Tsitsipas’ ways.
“It is simply disappointing as a result of I really feel it influenced the result of the match,” Murray stated. “I am not saying I essentially win that match, for positive, nevertheless it had affect on what was taking place after these breaks. I feel he is a superb participant. I feel he is nice for the sport. However I’ve zero time for that stuff in any respect, and I misplaced respect for him.”
Murray, who’s 34 years outdated and making an attempt to come back again after having a serious hip surgical procedure in 2019, stated he is aware of his feedback could possibly be construed as bitter grapes however stated he’d have come into the press convention saying the identical factor if he’d received. And he’s not the one participant to take concern with Tsitsipas’ prolonged journeys to the toilet after units.
In actual fact, on the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati fewer than two weeks in the past, Alexander Zverev accused Tsitsipas throughout their semifinal match of taking his cellular phone into the restroom after dropping the primary set and texting together with his coach and father Apostolos, which isn’t allowed on the ATP Tour.
Zverev had no proof that Tsitsipas broke any guidelines, however on the very least, the lengthy restroom breaks will be seen as an try and disrupt rhythm or frustrate an opponent — and Tsitsipas has gained a repute for abusing that loophole.
Tsitsipas dismissed the Zverev accusations because the product of his creativeness — “I’ve by no means in my profession performed that,” he stated — and defended his use of the toilet breaks.
“I feel it’s clear that I took my garments with me after I left the courtroom, and that’s the period of time it takes for me to vary my garments and are available again to the courtroom — takes a little bit little bit of time,” he stated. “So far as I do know you are allowed to have two rest room breaks to vary garments in a 5 setter and one in a 3 setter, so I’ve adopted that all through my profession and by no means damaged any guidelines so I see no motive that that is an issue in any case.”
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Murray stated the problem isn’t taking the breaks however the period of time Tsitsipas was off the courtroom, which allowed his physique to chill down and stiffen up earlier than going proper again into the match. He could possibly be heard on the courtroom saying that Tsitsipas was dishonest by taking so lengthy.
“He is aware of. The opposite gamers know. The truth that I used to be speaking to my group about it earlier than the match, we knew it was coming,” Murray stated. “You could possibly argue that I should not let that have an effect on me. However genuinely it’s troublesome, like, if you’re enjoying such a brutal match in these circumstances to have these breaks. Bodily you may’t cease that from affecting you. Mentally, sure, however bodily you may’t.”
Utilizing rest room breaks and pointless medical timeouts as a tactical ploy has lengthy been a subject on tour, nevertheless it’s unclear what the tennis excursions ought to do about it as a result of there are clearly conditions the place gamers want to go away the courtroom and both get remedy, use the restroom or shortly become dry garments.
“If folks do not care sufficient about it to vary, then that is high-quality,” Murray stated. “I will communicate to my group about it. I will take heed to what, I do not know, followers, gamers, and every part are saying about it. Possibly I am being unreasonable. Possibly I am overreacting to one thing as a result of I misplaced the match. However, yeah, proper now sitting right here I really feel prefer it’s nonsense and they should make a change as a result of it isn’t good for the game, it isn’t good for TV, it isn’t good for followers.
“I do not suppose it is a good search for the gamers both. I am sitting in right here after a match like that in opposition to among the finest gamers on the earth, and somewhat than speaking about how improbable he’s, how good he’s for the sport, how nice it was for me that I used to be capable of placed on a efficiency like that after every part that is gone on the final 4 years, however I am sitting in right here speaking about rest room breaks and medical timeouts and delays in matches. That is garbage. I do not suppose that that is proper.”
Tsitsipas stated he seems to be as much as Murray and would attempt to communicate with him one-on-one in regards to the concern.
“If there’s one thing that he has to inform me, we should always communicate the 2 of us to know what went improper,” Tsitsipas stated. “I don’t suppose I broke any guidelines. I performed by the rules and the way every part is. It’s positively one thing for each of us to form of chat about as a result of I don’t know the way my opponent feels after I’m on the market enjoying the match. It’s probably not my precedence. I’m enjoying by the foundations and sticking to what the ATP says is truthful, so the remaining is ok.”
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