Andy Murray’s exploits do not obscure the fact that tennis must evolve.
Jamie Murray made an argument that is becoming increasingly difficult to refute even before his brother took the court for his second-round match against Thanasi Kokkinakis. Andy Murray’s Success in Australian Open 2023:
Andy Murray’s older brother suggested that tournament organizers look into ways to end the farce of sending players out on court for best-of-five set matches at 11 p.m.
“We can’t keep having players compete until the wee hours of the morning. “Rubbish for everyone involved – players/fans/event staff, etc,” Murray wrote on Twitter.
These are comments that should not be ignored, and the time has come for authorities to pay attention to them.
The five set Murray vs Kokkinakis story commanded the attention of even the casual tennis fan for the British audience lapping up the drama in Melbourne during their afternoon.
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However, the spectacle of watching tennis in the middle of the night was far from ideal for Australian fans, both inside the stadium and watching on TV.
“I mean, do you know something, I respect the rules,” said Murray after the match.
“But it’s so disrespectful that the tournament has us out here until f***ing three or four o’clock in the morning and you are not allowed to go and take a p***.
“It’s a joke, it’s a joke. You know it as well.!
“It’s disrespectful to you, disrespectful to the ball children, disrespectful to the players and we are not allowed to go to the toilet. Ridiculous!”
Despite the fact that Andy Murray’s and Kokkinakis provided a match to remember, the 4 a.m. finish will add to the debate over whether best-of-five-set matches are still appropriate in an era when sports fans expect fast and fluid conclusion to their viewing.
Would Lionel Messi be asked to play an important football match late at night? Of course not, but tennis is the only sport that follows this bizarre schedule.
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If rain had interrupted this match, the two players’ marathon would have been halted, with a resumption the following day.
Time for tennis to move to only one 1 match at the night sessions at grand slams.
This is the best outcome for ALL singles players.
We can’t continue to have players compete into the wee hours of the morning. Rubbish for everyone involved – players/fans/event staff
Etc.— Jamie Murray (@jamie_murray) January 19, 2023
However, the weather did not intervene, so Murray and Kokkinakis were asked to play until they dropped, with the audience onlookers in danger of witnessing a match that began at night and ended in the early morning sunlight.
“It’s ridiculously late, you didn’t need to do that, but it really helps me and Thanasi in a situation like that when we have all of you creating an amazing atmosphere for us, so we appreciate that,” said Murray to a surprisingly healthy crowd after the match.
“Everyone, including me, I think we should all get off to bed now.”
When properly managed, night sessions can be a fantastic addition to Grand Slam tournaments.
They are also valuable money makers because they allow you to sell two sets of tickets on the same day.
However, Murray and Kokkinakis deserve better than the hand they were dealt for their second round match at the Australian Open, and no sporting event should end so late.
Tournament organizers should think about having one match in the evening session or starting the second half of the day at 6pm instead of 7pm.
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Alternatively, in the early rounds of competition, Grand Slam events should consider best-of-three-set matches.
This would add a new dimension to the first week of tournaments, with established champions more likely to be defeated in the shorter format, giving the event a new dimension.
Then Grand Slam finals should be played in best-of-five sets, with a prize worthy of the longer form of the game at the end.
It would also put an end to the strange anomaly of female players being paid more than men for the number of hours they spend on the court during best-of-three-set matches.
Tennis, like golf, cricket, football, and almost every other sport, has evolved and changed on multiple levels in recent years; however, there are a few red lines that cannot be crossed.
One of these is the five-set obsession that tennis purists will never abandon.
However, change should be welcomed rather than feared, and this is a time for tennis to examine itself and ask some tough questions.
Have you ever seen anything like that?@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/PSIXFMIFcl
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 19, 2023
