PARIS: Novak Djokovic hit out at Roland Garros officials after his epic five-set defeat to Rafael Nadal on Friday, claiming that his demands for the Court Philippe Chatrier surface to be improved were ignored.
The world number one twice battled from a set and a break down to lead 4-2 in the fifth set before a succession of rows with chair umpire Pascal Maria and tournament supervisor Stefan Fransson threw his challenge off course.
Djokovic claimed that the court was too dry and slippery, making smooth movement across the surface too difficult, and he even summoned Fransson onto the court to vent his frustrations at the court not being watered. “Off the court I was told that it’s the groundstaff who make the final decision on watering. The supervisor said it was him who decides,” said Djokovic, after his 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 9-7 loss.
“The wind was blowing a lot of clay off the top and after every changeover in the final set I was asking how long are we going to play. The supervisor said he’d talk to the grounds people.
“I was not asking to water the court because I want to make my opponent trip or do something like that. I was doing it for myself, because I felt that it got very dry and it was very slippery.
“If one player says yes to watering of the court and the other says no, in the end whose opinion has more value? It was too difficult to change direction. I think it was wrong what they did.”
Djokovic also lost a point when he was a break up at 4-3 and deuce when he collided with the net as he put away a smash which would have put him a point away from being 5-3 ahead. (Agencies)