Australian Open chief Craig Tiley has responded to criticism from Andy Murray after his marathon contest against Thanasi Kokkinakis finished at 4am, insisting there is “no need” to alter the tournament schedule despite the third latest match in tennis history.
Murray fought from two sets down to defeat Kokkinakis in an epic battle on Thursday, in what was the longest match of the 35-year-old’s career at five hours and 45 minutes. However, the fact that the match did not start until after 10pm in Melbourne and then continued into the early hours was criticised by Murray, who called the situation a “farce” despite his victory.
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The late-night finish was also criticised by Martina Navratilova, who tweeted: “No other sport does this. It is essential we create better rules in tennis regarding the weather and starting times or cut-off times for matches.”
Read more: yahoo
