Andy Murray recorded a stunning five-set win over Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round of the Australian Open on Wednesday. Their fight lasted five hours and 45 minutes, so one would think several bathroom breaks would be necessary. But when Murray requested to go to the toilet at 3 a.m., he was denied — and he wasn’t happy about it.
Murray told the chair umpire exactly how he felt when, after his fourth-set victory, the match was pushed into a second set, he was reminded that he had already used all his bathroom allotment. He described the situation and the regime as “abysmal”.
Murray told the chair umpire, “You know something? I respect the rules.” “It’s so humiliating that at tournaments we’re kept out until 3 or 4 in the morning and we’re not allowed to go and pee. It’s a joke.”
Murray’s view on this rule was hardly controversial. former world number 1 Andy Roddick agreed that it was “silly”.
Murray won 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 7-5 at 4.05 am local time in Melbourne. The second-latest finish in Grand Slam tennis history. During the post-match press conference, the three-time Grand Slam champion said a sport that forces players, fans, ball kids and officials to stay up so long probably isn’t “beneficial” to anyone.
“I don’t think it’s surprising for the fans. It’s not good for the players,” Murray told reporters, “So yeah, we talk about it all the time. It’s been talked about for years. When you start late night matches and situations like that happen, these things are going to happen.”
This is actually not the first bathroom break headline in this tournament. was something Controversy erupted on social media when Novak Djokovic was seen leaving the court to go to the bathroom during their first round match. Some said he was breaking the rules and left the court, but he later explained on social media that the chair umpire had given him permission as long as he hurried.
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