Tim Henman questions Australian Open rules after Medvedev

Tim Henman has raised concerns about the need for potential changes to the Australian Open following Daniil Medvedev’s comeback victory over Emil Ruusuvuori, which concluded in the early hours of Friday morning in Melbourne. The third-seeded player managed to overturn a two-set deficit, securing a win on Rod Laver and advancing to the third round at approximately 3:40 am local time.

This late finish was a situation that tournament organizers had aimed to prevent by introducing an extra day at the beginning of the first Grand Slam of the year. The match’s commencement was delayed until 11:15 pm due to an intense women’s singles contest, where Anna Blinkova emerged victorious over Elena Rybakina in a 42-point final-set tie-break.

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Under the recently implemented ATP and WTA regulations, which stipulate that no match can commence after 11 pm, Daniil Medvedev’s match would have been rescheduled to the following day. Tim Henman, commenting on this, suggested that adjustments might be necessary for Grand Slam tournaments. Given the format of best-of-five sets in Slams, compared to best-of-three on the tour, Henman proposed potential changes such as starting night sessions earlier or modifying the speed of balls and courts to address the scheduling challenges. Medvedev himself acknowledged that, as a fan, he wouldn’t have stayed around so late and anticipated going to bed at around 6:30 am after completing post-match obligations. Despite concerns about recovery for his next match against Felix Auger-Aliassime, Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, expressed relief at advancing after being two sets down against Emil Ruusuvuori. Reflecting on his performance, Medvedev mentioned adjusting his racquet tension after a challenging start, a decision that contributed to his turnaround and sustained improvement throughout the match.

After securing the third set, Medvedev took an early lead in the fourth by breaking Ruusuvuori in the opening game, maintaining his positive momentum. However, he faced a setback in the eighth game when Ruusuvuori leveled the set at 4-4, eventually moving ahead 5-4 and nearing a potential upset. This turn of events triggered a heated response from Medvedev, who vented his frustration by throwing his racquet towards his chair, a moment Tim Henman deemed potentially hazardous.

Henman explained that Medvedev’s outburst occurred after losing a point in a lengthy exchange, where he executed an impressive passing shot with a short backswing and a flick of the wrist. Henman characterized the racquet throw as “crazy,” emphasizing the unpredictability of its trajectory and the potential danger. Fortunately, Medvedev managed to regroup, holding serve and staying in the fourth set despite the emotional outburst.