Zheng Qinwen of China prevailed over Donna Vekic in a match that set a brand new report for the most recent end in girls’s singles at Flushing Meadows, however Murray insisted this report represented a low level.
Zheng, the seventh seed, repeated her Olympic Video games gold medal victory over Vekic in a 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 6-2 triumph. Their fourth-round conflict stretched for 2 hours and 50 minutes, kicking off round 11:25 p.m. on Sunday after a previous males’s match that spanned three hours and 4 units.
Zheng’s match broke the earlier late end report of two:13 a.m. from 2021, set by Maria Sakkari towards Bianca Andreescu in a last-16 matchup. Regardless of the early morning conclusion, Zheng remained composed.
“It is at all times good to play within the night time session as a result of I am used to it,” Zheng advised the diehard smattering of followers left contained in the cavernous 24,000-seater Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“It is the primary time I’ve performed right here in New York at two within the morning. It is unbelievable. Due to the followers that are not sleeping tonight for supporting me right here.”
This 12 months’s US Open has seen a number of late finishes, regardless of ongoing efforts to handle the problem, which has additionally plagued different Grand Slam occasions in Melbourne and Paris.
– ‘Difficult’ –
World quantity two Aryna Sabalenka’s win over Ekaterina Alexandrova within the third spherical began at a report late time of 12:08 a.m. on Saturday and completed at 1:48 a.m.
“I acquired again at 3:00 a.m., most likely go to sleep at 4:00,” stated Sabalenka.
“I am glad I did not play for, like, three hours after which I might most likely come again at 5:00 a.m. after which this is able to be tough.”
Germany’s Alexander Zverev accomplished a four-set, third spherical win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry at 2:35 a.m. on Saturday.
That was the second newest end in US Open historical past, behind solely the two:50 a.m. conclusion between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in 2022.
World quantity 4 Zverev was again on the courtroom on Sunday afternoon to defeat Brandon Nakashima and attain the quarter-finals.
US Open chiefs launched a brand new coverage this 12 months to counter the issue of late finishes with the event referee capable of transfer a match to a different present courtroom if crucial.
“We have had late matches right here. We’ll nonetheless have late matches right here. We are actually defining a coverage,” event director Stacey Allaster stated on the eve of the US Open.
“Within the occasion that we’ve got the second match of the night in Ashe or the final match in Armstrong, if these matches haven’t gone on by 11.15pm, the referee could have the discretion to maneuver the match.”
Nonetheless, she added: “That is going to depend upon many variables, like do we’ve got the published group prepared, do we’ve got a ball crew and so forth.”
– ‘Unhealthy’ –
Zverev isn’t any stranger to early morning finishes — in Acapulco in 2022, he accomplished a primary spherical win over Jenson Brooksby at 4:55 a.m. It’s the latest-ever end in all tennis historical past.
The most recent end in all Grand Slams was 4:34 a.m. when Lleyton Hewitt defeated Marcos Baghdatis on the 2008 Australian Open.
In Melbourne this 12 months, Daniil Medvedev accomplished a five-set win over Emil Ruusuvuori at 3:40 a.m.
Twelve months earlier, Murray defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis simply after Four a.m. after 5 hours and 45 minutes on courtroom.
At this 12 months’s French Open, Novak Djokovic received a match towards Lorenzo Musetti at a event report 3:06 a.m.
US star Coco Gauff described such finishes as “unhealthy” for gamers and followers.
Earlier in 2024, the ATP and WTA, who run the principle excursions, issued new tips to forestall late finishes.
The variety of night matches is restricted whereas none are allowed to begin after 11 p.m.
That technique doesn’t, nonetheless, apply to the Grand Slams though Wimbledon already operates a locally-agreed 11 p.m. curfew.
