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Speaking after falling to Tsitsipas in five sets on Monday, he said: “It’s not so much leaving the court. It’s the amount of time.”
The 23-year-old already had a reputation for taking prolonged off-court breaks at often-crucial moments of matches in the past, drawing criticism just weeks ago when he left the court during his Cincinnati Masters clash with Alexander Zverev and taking his bag with him as his dad could be seen texting in the stands, leaving Zverev questioning what his opponent was really doing in the bathroom.
Murray himself admitted he had been mentally prepared for the Greek to use the tactic and even discussed it with his team before the match but said his issue was the physical effects, as he explained the body starts to cool down during an eight-minute stoppage.
Tsitsipas’ most recent opponent Mannarino also spoke out on the matter when he found himself waiting on the third seed during their match, and was seen asking for balls so he could practice his serves to stay warm.
The Frenchman called on the rules to be changed, pointing out that the seven-time title winner couldn’t be stopped if there was no time limit on the comfort breaks.
“He’s not doing anything wrong, I think the rule is wrong,” the world No 44 said.
“I read that it was his routine to take a break. In this case, it’s more unsportsmanlike conduct. So many players use this little tool to break down rhythm.”
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