Andy Murray slams Wimbledon decision as Grigor Dimitrov forced to abandon match against Jannik Sinner
Former world number one Andy Murray has criticised Wimbledon after Jannik Sinner's match against Grigor Dimitrov was abruptly ended.
On Monday evening, Dimitrov took on Sinner inside Centre Court as the pair battled for a place in the quarter-final of Wimbledon.
In front of eight-time champion Roger Federer, who was watching from the Royal Box, 34-year-old Dimitrov rolled back the years as he raced to a two-set lead.
However, after the second set, it was announced that the match would be suspended due to the fading light, as the roof needed to be closed.
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After the match restarted, Dimitrov's Wimbledon dream ended in tears as he was forced to retire due to what looked like a pectoral injury.
As a result, Sinner, despite struggling with an injury of his own, will now take on American Ben Shelton in the last eight.
Bulgarian Dimitrov has now been forced to retire in each of his past five Grand Slams.
Reacting on social media, two-time Wimbledon winner Murray was far from impressed with the tournament's decision to shut the roof.
He wrote on X: "So ridiculous to close the roof at this stage of the match. At least an hour of light left….well over a set of tennis can still be played..its an outdoor tournament!"
Speaking after the match, Sinner said: "I don't take this as a win at all, this is just an unfortunate moment for all of us to witness.
"He has struggled in the last Grand Slams with injuries a lot, so seeing him again with this injury is very tough."
He added: "We all saw by his reaction how much he cares about the sport. He is one of the hardest-working players on tour and it is very unfortunate.
"This is not the end we wanted to see and it's very sad. We all wish him only the best."
Touching on his own injury concerns, Sinner added: "It happened very early in the match. First game. Quite unfortunate fall. Checked the videos a bit. It didn’t seem like a tough one but I still felt it quite a lot.
"Especially on the serve and forehand. I could feel it. Let’s see. Tomorrow we are gonna check to see how it is. Let’s see."
Where to buy last-minute Wimbledon tickets
The Wimbledon ballot may have closed for another year, but it’s not too late to buy advance tickets if you know where to look.
If you don’t mind splashing out on the experience, Seat Unique has the option to book ‘VIP Debenture Behind The Server’ and ‘VIP Debenture Front 5 Rows’ tickets.
These tickets offer 'unparalleled views' of the court, so you won't miss out on any of the action.
As for resale tickets, you'll want to head over to StubHub and Viagogo.
Topics: Andy Murray, Tennis, Wimbledon
Marcus Chan