GLOBAL CHICK’S PICKS FOR MADRID MASTERS TENNIS / EVEN ROCK STARS DON’T TAKE THE STAGE AFTER MIDNIGHT

It’s on the schedule

 

 

Not surprisingly, the big topic of conversation early this morning was the scheduling of matches on the main show court Manolo Santana at the Mutua Madrid Open.

 

Of course no-one could have predicted that both of the women’s matches would stretch well into the afternoon as Caroline Garcia put up a worthy fight against Maria Sharapova before we saw a great clash between former rivals Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka.

 

We know that Roger Federer fell foul of the every rising Nick Kyrgios, and Svetlana Kuznetsova put in the hours ahead of Andy Murray and Philipp Kohlschreiber’s scheduled match.

 

Even before the match started at 1:12am on Thursday morning, never mind when it finished, the players were understandably peeved. We expect this kind of scheduling at a grand slam, and the accompanying sense of occasion. And there is no doubt that a joint Masters and Premier event is a fairly high profile event, but this is no Slam.

 

Understandably after their match the pair were not keen to talk to the press, despite assurances that a couple of questions would be ok. But in the cold light of day, players were a lot more forthcoming as scathing criticism was coming in from social media.

 

First winner of the day Sharapova was predictably tactful, but honest about the challenges that Madrid poses?

 

“It’s a tough schedule here. Madrid has always been a tournament with a very difficult schedule. If you look at the women’s side, you know, the first two matches, first 11:00 or second, so you know you’ve got a really early start or you’re playing a really late match.

 

“I think the schedule for the women is not very forgiving at this tournament, and you kind of know that’s to be expected at this event. I guess we haven’t been able to [have any influence].”

 

She will be facing Svetlana Kuznetsova in her semi-final, and poor old Andy Murray will be dreading seeing her on the call-sheet for a court ahead of him. It was her match that completed at around 1am, and se had plenty to say on the subject, after we suggested that she might want to buy the newly married a big present for keeping him off the court with intense three setters, but in all seriousness we needed to know how she felt about her schedule.

 

She said: “For me the schedule would be pretty bad. I won’t be afraid to tell this word. I don’t understand like why I played last night like really late. I finish at 1:00. And today and tomorrow I play at 11:00 in the morning. To me it’s really unfair, the schedule. I guess priority is TV, but I guess they should defend more interest of players to make us recover.”

But it fell to the man of the moment to give us his take on the situation, having failed to get a few minutes with him last night… no wait… early this morning.

 

It transpired the powers that be actually asked them about potentially moving (bearing in mind they were scheduled not before 9:30pm) at around midnight.

 

Murray said: “It was very difficult. I think me and Philipp both were quite frustrated on the court. I wouldn’t say the level of tennis was particularly good or that it was a very entertaining match. That’s what happens in those circumstances. You aren’t going to get guys playing their best tennis when you’re on court at 3:00 in the morning.

 

“You go on court frustrated, and then obviously if something doesn’t go your way you get quite frustrated. Like I said, I think both of us at different times in the match obviously when things aren’t going your way, it’s easy to get down on yourself.

 

“Obviously in the third set that happened to him. But just, yeah, wasn’t thinking that much after the match. I just wanted to go to sleep and try and recover for today.”

 

Thankfully Thursday’s session was less hectic, aided with a couple of straight sets wins as well (thank you Serena, Nadal, Murray and Raonic).

 

Into the final stages and the issue should be a faint memory, but here’s hoping they keep this in mind for next year?

Topics: Andy Murray, Atp World Tour, global chick, Maria Sharapova, Mutua Madrid Open, Nick Kyrgios, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Sports, Tennis, Victoria Azarenka, Wta

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