10 July 2023 , 12:29
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Andy and Jamie Murray have urged Wimbledon chiefs to find a solution to the dreaded 11pm curfew after another match was halted.
Novak Djokovic was forced to return to Centre Court on Monday afternoon after his round of 16 clash against Hubert Hurkacz was suspended on Sunday night. Defending champion Djokovic boasts a 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (8-6) lead in the nail-biting contest.
Andy Murray was stung by the curfew when his second-round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas was suspended, with the two-time champion 2-1 in front. When Murray returned the following day, Tsitsipas stormed to a 3-2 win.
Andy Murray showed his thoughts by retweeting a post calling for 1:30pm Centre Court starts to be scrapped to allow matches to start at "least an hour earlier". His brother Jamie appeared to agree with the sentiment by tweeting: "Another night. Confirmed."
Although play starts at around 11am on other courts, play on Centre Court does not start until 1:30pm. It's a similar story on Court One, which doesn't open until 1pm. Centre Court and Court One are the only courts at SW19 which have roofs.
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A number of matches at this year's championships have been played over two days, leaving many fans baffled. A lot of people believe that matches on Centre Court and Court One should start at around 11am to give them plenty of time to finish.
The 11pm curfew was introduced in 2009 after the roof was built on Centre Court. Merton Council only allowed the roof to be built if Wimbledon chiefs agreed to the curfew.
"The 11pm curfew is a planning condition applied to balance the consideration of the local residents with the scale of an international tennis event that takes place in a residential area," read a statement from Wimbledon in 2018. "The challenge of transport connectivity and getting visitors home safely is also a key consideration."
Andy Murray crashed out of Wimbledon after his second-round clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas was suspended overnight (AFP via Getty Images)What's your thought on the matter? Let us know in the comments below!
The 11pm curfew has been pushed back on occasion. The time was 11:02pm when Andy Murray defeated Marcos Baghdatis in 2012, with the clock striking 11pm when the Scot was just one game away from victory.
As quoted by The Independent, Merton Council's leader Stephen Alambritis said that "flexibility an common sense prevailed" at the time. He added: "We were in touch with the All England Club from 10pm onwards and there were discussions between our planning officers and the tournament director.
"We have always said these prearrangements were to be used with discretion, so I was pleased flexibility and common sense prevailed, because we have a duty to both the residents as well as the tennis."
Djokovic faces a challenge to retain his men's singles title due to the emergence of top seed Carlos Alcaraz. Third seed Daniil Medvedev and fifth seed Tsitsipas are still in the tournament, but fourth seed Casper Ruud is out after losing to Brit Liam Broady.
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