MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australian Open favorite Daniil Medvedev labelled the tennis tour’s bathroom break rule as “silly” after rowing with the chair umpire about freshening up throughout his sweaty fourth spherical win over Maxime Cressy on Monday.
Russian Medvedev barked at French chair umpire Renaud Lichtenstein over the not too long ago up to date rule which limits gamers to a most of three minutes off the court docket, with an extra two in the event that they go for a change of garments.
After closing out a troublesome 6-2 7-6(4) 6-7(4) 7-5 win over American Cressy nL1N2U40D2 on a sweltering day at Margaret Court Arena, the second seed stated gamers wanted extra leeway to clean up on days of maximum warmth.
“The factor is that I do know that within the 35 (diploma) warmth, whenever you’re taking part in within the solar, I’m going to need to change after two units as a result of you are going to get moist,” he informed reporters.
“I’m going to need to change my shorts, beneath my shorts, my socks, my sneakers. You want like a very good 4 minutes to do it, and my physique wished to pee after the primary set.
“So I do not see any logic in these guidelines, so therefore I can name this silly.”
After dropping the third set in opposition to serve-volleyer Cressy, Medvedev grew ill-tempered within the fourth as he didn’t take the American’s serve by way of eight break factors.
But he stated he was already in a temper about being placed on the Margaret Court Arena second showcourt for a second match in a row, reasonably than the Rod Laver Arena centre court docket.
“I used to be fairly mad right now due to a number of issues,” stated the U.S. Open champion, the very best seed at Melbourne Park after world primary Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia.
“First of all is the place I actually do not know, like, what ought to I do to play on centre courts in Grand Slams.
“Because I gained the final Grand Slam. I imply, I’m the very best seed right here, and to play in opposition to Maxime could be simpler on Rod Laver (Arena), extra space.
“When you play on a smaller court docket it is harder to play any individual who does serve and volley than on an even bigger court docket.”
Medvedev, runner-up to Djokovic final yr, will play Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime for a spot within the semi-finals.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Ken Ferris)
