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<\/p>\nAlexander\u00a0Zverev has become the latest player to call out tennis chiefs over the issue of match scheduling. The 26-year-old defeated\u00a0Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-7 (4) 6-2 6-1 in Beijing to progress to the quarter-finals of the China Open in a match that didn’t start until after midnight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the end, play was wrapped up at 2.40am local time as he defeated his Spanish foe over three sets.\u00a0Zverev wasn’t best pleased about being forced to play into the early hours of Sunday morning and made his feelings clear in the immediate aftermath.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m happy with the win. Obviously, it\u2019s difficult to play til 3am. I\u2019m not sure it was the right call to keep us on this court. I think we should\u2019ve changed courts.<\/p>\n
“We should\u2019ve gone on. There\u2019s so many great courts on the stadium. So many opportunities where we could\u2019ve played. I\u2019m not sure we should\u2019ve waited til past midnight to start the match, to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Zverev raised similar concerns at the Madrid Open last year after a late finish to his semi-final match against Stefanos Tsitisipas meant he went to bed at 4am the night before taking on World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the final.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ATP\u2019s job was an absolute disgrace this week,\u201d he said. \u201cTo play a final against Carlos Alcaraz, who for me is the best player in the world right now, in a Masters 1000 event\u2026 it is difficult.<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong> We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n \u201cI had no coordination. I had no coordination on my serve, I had no coordination on my groundstrokes. I missed two overheads that were super easy because I see the ball and everything is moving in my eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n Late finishes have become an increasing problem in the sport.\u00a0Elena Rybakina was left, in her own words, “destroyed” by a 3am finish to her quarter-final match with Daria Kasatkina in Montreal two months ago. She was noticeably off her game the next day when she played\u00a0Liudmila Samsonova in the semis with her post-midnight marathon clearly taking its toll.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was horrible, to be honest,\u201d said Rybakina. \u201cIt\u2019s not easy because they [the injuries] are not even because of the amount of tennis I played or how long the matches were. It\u2019s really tough to recover when you go to sleep at 5am.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlock all Sky Sports channels, including Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, and Sky Sports Golf. And unlike other channel bundles from Sky, its sports coverage arrives in High Definition as standard!\u00a0<\/p>\n Contract length: 18-months<\/p>\n Get the complete Sky Sports package, as well as everything 300 TV channels, including Sky Atlantic, 500 on-demand boxsets, and a Netflix subscription. With its 4K QLED screen and built-in Dolby Atmos soundbar, Glass should provide a brilliant viewing on match day!<\/p>\n Set-up costs: \u00a310 | Free delivery nationwide<\/p>\n For a limited time, Sky has slashed \u00a390 off the cost of its Sky Sports package. This bundle, which usually costs \u00a351 per month, includes the award-winning Sky Stream box, a complete Netflix subscription, and all Sky Sports channels!\u00a0<\/p>\n Set-up costs: \u00a30 | Contract length: 18-months<\/p>\n
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