Novak Djokovic said on Saturday that Australian Open organizers should take player input into account when scheduling matches, adding that late-night clashes are “harsh” for players.
Andy Murray reprimanded the officials as his epic five-set victory over Thanasi Kokkinakis ended just after 4am on Friday (1700 GMT on Thursday), well beyond the usual Grand Slam midnight madness.
After being knocked out of the tournament at the hands of Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round on Saturday, Scott again criticized the scheduling, saying “ending a match at 4 in the morning is not good for the players.”
Asked for his opinion on Murray’s comments, nine-time champion Djokovic told reporters: “I think the players’ input is always important for tournament organization.
“We know it’s not (decisive) because it comes down to what the TV broadcasters want,” the Serbian said after his 7-6(7) 6-3 6-4 win over Bulgarian Grigor. Is.” Dimitrov on Saturday.
“I agree with his (Murray’s) points … For the crowd, it’s entertaining, it’s exciting, matches (finish) at midnight, 1, 2, 3. For us, it’s really grueling.
“Even if you go through and win matches like this, you still have to come back.
“Your sleep cycle is there, rhythm is completely disrupted, there’s really not enough time to recover for another five-setter. Yeah, I think in terms of the schedule after what we’ve seen this year That something needs to be addressed.”
Djokovic will next face Alex de Minaur of Australia in the fourth round on Monday.
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