Australian Open 2023: Craig Tiley defends 4am finish, no plans for match curfew in future

Under fire Australian Open boss Craig Tiley has flipped the script on controversial early morning finishes, saying player power is standing in the way of a curfew.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 19: Andy Murray of Great Britain gives an after match TV interview (to the right of picture the clock shows the match time of 5 hours and 45 minutes ) after his five set victory in their round two singles match against Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia during day four of the 2023 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 19, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Player power is standing in the way of an Australian Open curfew that would safeguard against early-morning deciders, tournament director Craig Tiley says.

There was widespread outrage on Friday morning after local hope Thanasi Kokkinakis’ five-set defeat by Brit Andy Murray finished at 4.05am on Friday, having started after 10pm on Thursday night.

The near six-hour marathon sparked calls for the tournament to reconsider its night session strategy, with the match schedule slammed as “crazy” by greats of the sport.

But Tiley told News Corp that Kokkinakis and Murray’s marathon was “one out of the box” and that there was no current plan to change the schedule.

“It’s always a debate that happens, and we are always talking to the players about what’s in their best interests,” he said on Friday.

“We do know that by a very vast majority, the players do not want to start a match and not finish a match because of that reason, when they know they can continue it.

“Having a match of nearly six hours is highly unusual, and no matter what time Andy and Thanasi’s match would have started, it would have been a long match into the early hours of the morning (when it finished).

Craig Tiley has resisted calls for a curfew on tennis matches at the Australian Open. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

“We ask the players would they continue to come back the next day or play that night, and the majority would say they’d prefer to play that day, or they get into a cycle where they don’t get a day off.”

Tiley said Melbourne’s week of wild weather had compounded the issue.

One suggestion has been to not start matches after a certain time - like 10pm.

“It’s a good question and it’s always a good debate to have,” Tiley said.

“There has been a suggestion to put one match on at 7pm, but then you have a scenario - what happens if it’s over in 58 minutes? Or what happens if a player is injured in the first game? Then everyone ... is sitting with nothing.

“On the flip side, you have that other risk. We have had situations where the first match has gone really, really late, and we’ve chosen not to put a second match on and have put it onto another court. That can happen as well - you evaluate that at the time.”

Television ratings for the match will fall into Friday’s calculations, which are set to be released on Saturday.

HOW PLAYERS REACTED TO 4AM FARCE

Murray’s brother Jamie said playing “into the wee hours” was “rubbish for everyone involved” including staff and fans, while Andy said playing until such a time risked descending into “farce”.

“I don’t know who it’s beneficial for,” he said.

“A match like that, we come here after the match, and that’s what discussion is. Rather than it being like, ‘epic Murray-Kokkinakis match’, it ends in a bit of a farce.

“Amazingly people stayed until the end. I really appreciate people doing that, creating an atmosphere for us at the end. I really appreciate that. Some people need to work the following day and everything.

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

“If my child was a ball kid for a tournament, they’re coming home at 5 in the morning, as a parent, I’m snapping at that. It’s not beneficial for them. It’s not beneficial for the umpires, the officials. I don’t think it’s amazing for the fans. It’s not good for the players.

“It’s been spoken about for years. When you start the night matches late and have conditions like that, these things are going to happen.”

SIX-HOUR MATCHES HURTING PLAYERS

But American ace Jess Pegula declared the 4.05am finish was “crazy” and six-hour matches jeopardised the health of players.

“There’s no sport that does that. I don’t think it’s very good. Who really wants to watch a five-six-hour match?” Pegula said.

“I think that definitely is something that needs to be talked about and changed.

“I know it doesn’t happen that often. But when it’s happening at a Grand Slam … that could be the next round for them or the tournament.

It is essential we create better rules in tennis regarding the weather(light and wind) and starting times or cutoff times for matches. Murray and Kokkinakis will finish around 4am. Crazy- no other sport does this @AustralianOpen@ITFTennis

— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) January 19, 2023

“Doing that is not healthy. The recovery I can’t even imagine mentally and physically.

“People also don’t realize, you can’t sleep after that either. You’re so wired. Like, I don’t even know if he probably could get any sleep after that.

“I definitely think it’s something that needs to be talked about because, yeah, I don’t think any of the players think that should be happening at all.”

Tennis great Martina Navratilova said change was “essential”.

“Crazy- no other sport does this,” she wrote.

STAR UNFAZED

Italian young gun Jannik Sinner – who played for more than five hours in a record-late finish at the 2022 US Open – said he was unfazed.

“When you play night matches or night sessions, especially when you play second on, it’s a little bit different,” he said.

“Depending also if there are five sets before, which most likely is going to be even later because there’s not enough time to go for that.

“But me, honestly, I don’t care so much, no? I’m happy to be on court. Doesn’t matter what time. For sure I prefer at 11(am) than playing in the night. It’s all part of our sport now.”

RODDICK WEIGHS IN ON ‘BATHROOM-GATE’

Murray was denied a bathroom break at 3am – labelling the move “disrespectful” – which was backed by grand slam champion Andy Roddick.

“This is just so dumb,” he said.

Correct. This is just so dumb https://t.co/dA23OutBYY

— andyroddick (@andyroddick) January 19, 2023

Originally published as Australian Open 2023: Craig Tiley defends 4am finish, no plans for match curfew in future