French Open: Djokovic suggests 'hurricane conditions' played a part in defeat to Thiem

Novak Djokovic was frustrated by windy conditions as Dominic Thiem claimed victory in their French Open semi-final clash.

Published : Jun 08, 2019 22:35 IST

Novak Djokovic has suggested adverse weather conditions were a big factor in his last-four defeat to Dominic Thiem at the French Open.

The semifinal began on Friday but play was suspended with Thiem 3-1 up in the third set due to the worsening weather.

Thiem went on to clinch the set 7-5 when play resumed on Saturday, much to Djokovic's frustration on another windy day at Roland Garros.

World number one Djokovic fought back to win the fourth 7-5, but Thiem rallied to take the decider by the same score and set up a final with 11-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal in a repeat of last year's showpiece.

And though Djokovic - whose hopes of joining Rod Laver as the only man in history to possess all four grand slams on two occasions have now been at least temporarily dashed - insisted Thiem deserved full credit for his win, he implied that the match should have been halted earlier than it was on Friday.

RELATED | Thiem thrilled with Djokovic win, eager to face 'favourite' Nadal

"Obviously when you're playing in hurricane kind of conditions, it's hard to perform at your best," Djokovic said. "It's really just kind of surviving in these kind of conditions and trying to hold your serve and play.

"That's what it felt playing like yesterday, to be honest. It is what it is. I played great tennis, but I don't want to find excuses for the loss.

"Congratulations to [Thiem], he's playing great tennis. He showed why he's one of the best players in the world and I wish him the best for the final."

"There are no rules," Djokovic answered when asked if there should be tighter limits on how long games are played in adverse weather.

"What was explained yesterday in the first set when I asked the supervisor, he came on the court and he said as long as there are no flying objects coming to the court, we're good.

"I didn't know that [an] umbrella is not a flying object, which flew in in the first game of the match, but that's their decision. I guess they know tennis better."

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment