Australian Open boss Tilley hits back after Murray slammed scheduling

Australian Open boss Craig Tilley hits back after Andy Murray slammed scheduling following 4.05am finish in epic win over Thanasi Kokkinakis, as CEO insists ‘most players DON’T want a curfew’

• Australian Open boss Craig Tilley has defended the tournament’s schedule 
• Andy Murray beat Thanasi Kokkinakis in an epic clash that finished at 4.05am
• Murray and several other tennis figures have since slammed the scheduling
• Tilley said the late finish ‘isn’t ideal’ but revealed players are reluctant to change 

As Andy Murray combined sleeps with treatment, Australian Open boss Craig Tiley defended the scheduling that might have wrecked his tournament chances.

Murray was due to go again in his third round on Saturday following a 4.05am finish on Friday, tackling the notoriously solid Spanish baseliner Roberto Bautista-Agut to try and make the last sixteen (8am UK time).

Meanwhile Tiley stated that he would be prepared to institute a cut-off time for matches at the event, but that the idea had met with resistance when players were previously consulted.

Australian Open boss Craig Tiley defended the tournament’s scheduling after recent criticism

‘If the players want a curfew, we can play with a curfew, we would like that,’ said the Tournament Director. ‘ But the feedback we get from the players is that “We don’t want to stop the match we’re playing”, nearly 100 per cent say they want to finish any match they’re playing.

‘They understand stopping the match when it rains, but I picture a situation where a player comes back from 2 sets down, it’s 3-3 in the fifth. I’d like to see you walk out on the court and tell the players that they have to come off.’

Wimbledon is now the only Grand Slam that does not run an official night session. In the case of the Australian Open two matches are scheduled in the first week from 7pm, and contributing to the overrun was a late finish to Thursday’s three-match daytime programme.

Tiley is one of the sport’s most innovative thinkers and would like to reduce the danger of that by, for example, abolishing netcord lets and further reducing the warm-up.

Yet players are notoriously resistant to change, and the sport is still a long way from changing the scoring system to make match times more predictable.

Andy Murray won a five hour 45 minute clash against Thanasi Kokkinakis that ended at 4.05am

‘I think it’s not ideal to play that late, if it’s something we can avoid we would, but we can’t predict the length of the match,’ said Tiley. ‘ Remember they automatically get the next day off in a situation like that and regroup. We shouldn’t forget that it was a great match, one of the more memorable played at the Australian Open, and that’s why we love Andy.’

Murray felt good enough yesterday to have a 20-minute early evening hit amid his naps and massages. He only slept fitfully in the hours after the Kokkinakis match, through adrenaline and having consumed energy products, some of which contain caffeine.

There was more rest in the afternoon ahead of facing Bautista Agut. The Spaniard is an expert grinder, and one of the last people anyone would wish to face after going for ten hours and 34 minutes in the first two rounds.

It was the now world number 25 who was Murray’s opponent following his famously tearful press conference here in 2019 when the Scot announced that he felt the end was nigh for his career. ‘I’m not sure I can play through the pain for another four or five months,’ he said at the time, hoping to play one last Wimbledon.

But Tilley hit back at Murray and several critics, insisting ‘most players don’t want a curfew’

It took a significant physical and mental effort from Murray to beat his Australian opponent

On a hugely emotional evening in Melbourne he made what seemed to be a last stand, staying out there for four hours and nine minutes before the Spanaird prevailed in five sets.

Once again Murray would be very much the sentimental crowd favourite on Saturday: ‘It was like Davis Cup atmosphere,’ recalled Bautista Agut. ‘ It was very loud, very crowded. A lot of people supporting him, I think all the stadium.’

What followed was Murray electing to have a metal cap inserted in his hip, at the end of January 2019. By the grass court season he was able to play doubles only, winning the title upon his return at Queen’s Club.

Incredibly, in October that year he was back playing singles, and actually won the European Open ATP event in Antwerp.

‘I’m happy for him that he’s in good shape, he is winning good matches, and he is enjoying the court again,’ said Bautista Agut. ‘He looks fit. He is a good fighter. He loves the game, and he is a great tennis player.’

By backing up his win against Matteo Berrettini with the epic against Thanasi Kokkinakis, Murray yet again defied the odds.

Judy Murray praised her son’s remarkable resillience after he was able to reach the third round

‘What he has gone through to get back to this level is quite remarkable. He is just an incredible fighter and his resilience is second to none,’ his mother Judy, watching in the stands until 4am on Thursday, told Channel Nine Australia. ‘He’s certainly getting his money’s worth isn’t he?’

If Murray did somehow manage to squeeze through then his quarter is remarkably open due to the scattering of the seeds. Bautista Agut is the highest ranked player left in that part of the draw, although he is a notoriously tough nut to crack.

In the previous round he needed five sets to get past American qualifier Brandon Holt, son of women’s legend Tracy Austin. For that he was on court for less than three hours, which you would expect to be the telling factor when he meets the great survivor.

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