Nadal questions French Open scheduling after late finish (Order of Play)

Nadal questions French Open scheduling after late finish (Order of Play)

by Joseph Anthony
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Rafa Nadal advanced to the semi-finals at 1:26am local time in cold, windy conditions in Paris

Having finished his quarter-final match at 1:26am local time in cold, windy conditions, Rafa Nadal questioned French Open organisersโ€™ decision to schedule no fewer than five matches on the same court over the day.

The 12-time Roland Garros champion was scheduled last on the main court and when he started his match the temperature was 13C with a cold wind sweeping the clay off the court, whose roof was left open throughout.
โ€œThe weatherโ€ฆ itโ€™s too cold to play tennis. I know football players do it all the time but theyโ€™re always moving while us tennis players, we stop, we come back, thereโ€™s the changeover,โ€ Nadal told a news conference after his 7-6(4) 6-4 6-1 win against Italian teenager Jannik Sinner.
Play started at 0900GMT on Tuesday with a rescheduled womenโ€™s fourth-round match before a quarter-final between Nadia Pogoroska and Elina Svitolina, a menโ€™s quarter-final between Diego Schwartzman and Dominic Thiem that lasted five hours and eight minutes and another last-eight encounter between Iga Swiatek and Martina Trevisan.
Nadal started his match at 10:36 pm local time. While such starting times are not unusual at the U.S. and Australian Opens, those tournaments are held during the summer.
This yearโ€™s French Open, however, was moved from its usual spot in the warmer May-June months because of the COVID-19 crisis.
โ€œI really donโ€™t know why they put five matches on the Chatrier today. That was a risk,โ€ said the Spaniard.
โ€œI saw immediately yesterday when they sent me the schedule because there is a chance there is a couple of long matches. Thatโ€™s what happened. Little bit unlucky, of course.
โ€œFor me, I just tried to be patient, accept everything, and be in a positive shape. Thatโ€™s what I did.โ€
Order of play on the main showcourts on the 11th day of the French Open on Wednesday (play begins at 0900 GMT, prefix number denotes seeding):
COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER
7-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) v Laura Siegemund (Germany)
Danielle Collins (U.S.) v 4-Sofia Kenin (U.S.)
13-Andrey Rublev (Russia) v 5-Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece)
1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) v 17-Pablo Carreno Busta (Spain)
REUTERS

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