Novak Djokovic has joined the push for tennis officers to tweak the Australian Open schedule for the sake of equity and participant welfare.
Five-time finalist Andy Murray is urging event director Craig Tiley to think about beginning the night time session earlier after crashing out of the Open on Saturday night time after being pressured to again up from his hellish 4.05am end on Friday.
No participant has ever gained a singles match on the Open after successful a earlier encounter that completed after 2am.
Murray wanted 5 units and virtually six hours to get previous Australian wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis within the second spherical and says the scheduling wants altering.
“I’m sure if you went and spoke to some sleep experts and sports scientists etc, the people that actually really know what’s important for athletes to recover, they would tell you that sleep is the number one thing. That that’s the most important thing,” the previous world No.1 mentioned after going out in 4 units to Roberto Bautista Agut.
“Finishing matches at four in the morning isn’t good for the players.
“I might additionally argue it is not good for the game, anybody concerned in it. I do suppose there’s some fairly easy issues that may be accomplished to vary that.”
Murray would like to see the Australian Open follow the US Open’s lead of reducing the day session on the show courts to two matches instead of three.
“That would cease the day matches working into the night time session beginning too late. I feel that is fairly a easy one which you possibly can have a look at,” he mentioned.
“You’d nonetheless get high quality matches through the day. The individuals who purchased floor passes would get to see extra of the highest gamers, which might be wonderful for them.
“If you did that, you could also potentially bring the night sessions slightly earlier, as well, like 6:00 or 6:30.
“That time, these few hours, could make a distinction to the gamers. That’s one thing that is in all probability value, yeah, contemplating shifting forwards.”
Djokovic completely agrees.
The king of Melbourne Park believes two matches on the show courts during the day before the feature night matches begin at 6pm would be a huge improvement.
“For the group, it is entertaining, it is thrilling, to have matches (at) midnight, 1, 2, 3am. For us, it is actually gruelling,” the nine-times Open champion said.
“Even should you undergo and win, prevail in these sort of matches, you continue to have to come back again. You have your sleeping cycle, rhythm disrupted utterly, not sufficient time actually to recuperate for an additional five-setter.
“Yeah, something needs to be addressed in terms of the schedule after what we’ve seen this year.
“Players’ enter is at all times vital for event organisation. Whether it is decisive, we all know that it is not as a result of it comes right down to what the TV broadcasters need to have. That’s the last word resolution maker.”
