Andy Murray left fuming as he’s not allowed to use toilet during five-set marathon at Australian Open
CNN
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Andy Murray was left furious after being denied the chance to go to the toilet during his five-set marathon against Thanasi Kokkinakis at the Australian Open.
The former world number 1 had fought back from a two-set deficit against Kokkinakis, leaving a decisive fifth set between him and victory.
In the interval before the final frame, Murray requested to use the bathroom, but was told by the chair umpire that he was not allowed as he had already been in the match once.
“You know something? I respect the rules. It’s a joke, it’s a joke and you know it too,” the 35-year-old told the umpire.
“It’s so disrespectful that the tournament has us here until three, god damn four in the morning and we’re not allowed to piss.
“It’s disrespectful to you, it’s disrespectful to the ball kids, it’s disrespectful to the players and we’re not allowed to go to the toilet. It is ridiculous.”
2003 US Open winner Andy Roddick agreed with Murray’s complaints, write on Twitter: “Right. This is just so stupid.”
It is not the first time in this grand slam that restrictions on players going to the toilet made headlines after Novak Djokovic appeared to take matters into his own hands by taking an early toilet break in his first-round win.
The Serb asked Baena to go to the toilet after five games in his match against Roberto Carballés on Tuesday, but the referee didn’t seem to hear Djokovic, so he was heard saying ‘hello’ three times to get her attention before Djokovic said: ‘I ‘ I go to the toilet.”
The 21-time Grand Slam winner ran off the field as the umpire yelled ‘Novak’ after him. Although the referee was told he had 30 seconds to return, Djokovic was back on court before the timer expired and won the next game comfortably.
Djokovic denied afterwards that he had defied the referee’s orders when he went to the toilet.
“So she told me (you didn’t capture that on camera) to hurry up. When I was about to leave the track she called me (I didn’t hear it) to tell me the toilet was on the other side of the track,” Djokovic wrote on Instagram.
“I found one wherever I went, and I had to be quick because of time. I didn’t “defy” her or the rules. She gave me permission and told me to be quick.”
However, the outburst or inability to go to the toilet did not hinder Murray in the final set, as he took a famous win that lasted five hours and 45 minutes in total – the longest match of Murray’s illustrious career.
The game, which lasted past 4am in Melbourne, was another reminder of the qualities we’ve come to know Murray for: persistence, determination and that ‘never give up’ attitude.
Murray now plays No. 24 seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round.
