Australian Open finalist Andy Murray says there is no need for Novak Djokovic to explain himself after their controversial Australian Open final.
Djokovic struggled through to an eighth Grand Slam title on Feb. 1 — looking beaten physically, but pulling through for a four-set victory at the expense of a furious Murray, who came close to accusing him of theatrics on court.
“Everything has been made out to be much bigger than what it was,” the world No. 4 Scot said on Monday at the Rotterdam World Tennis tournament in the Netherlands. “That happens all the time these days.”
Photo: Reuters
“In reality, you can go through periods of being very tired, then get better. You can get a second wind,” Murray said. “As the finishing line gets closer, you can feel better.”
“If Novak feels he has something to explain, I’d be pleased to speak with him, but I don’t feel he really needs to explain anything,” he said.
Murray added that while the media might try to beat up the story of his anger at losing the Melbourne final for a fourth time into a feud, he and Djokovic remain on excellent terms.
Photo: AFP
Meanwhile, last year’s Australian Open winner Stanislas Wawrinka said he is happy to shake up his schedule this month as he makes a return to Rotterdam for the first time in a decade.
The Swiss 29-year-old was to have played here 12 months ago, but a combination of injury plus the sheer shock of lifting a first Grand Slam title kept him away.
Now, Wawrinka, whose ranking has slipped to ninth after going out in the Melbourne semi-finals to Djokovic, has come good on his vow to shake up his scheduling.
“I haven’t played indoor in February for 10 years,” Wawrinka said. “I used to play in South America and the last few years I haven’t played in February. I’m excited to be back. I feel good. It’s important for me to come to play here. it a great tournament, a good indoor court.”
He said mixing and matching his calendar serves a good purpose.
“It’s good to change a bit, to see some new tournaments,” he said. “Even if I played here before, it was so long ago. It’s also good to stay mentally fresh.”
THAILAND OPEN
AP, PATTAYA, Thailand
In the first round of the WTA event yesterday, Taiwan’s Chan Yung-jan was eliminated in straight sets 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 by Duan Yingying of China.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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