French Open: Agnieszka Radwanska and Simona Halep unhappy after defeats
Tuesday 31 May 2016 18:00, UK
Simona Halep and Agnieszka Radwanska expressed anger at having to play in "impossible" conditions after their fourth-round exits at the French Open.
Former Roland Garros finalist Halep was defeated by Sam Stosur and second seed Radwanska was stunned by Tsvetana Pironkova on Tuesday in matches which started 48 hours earlier.
Stosur trailed 5-3 when her match with Halep was called off court due to fading light on Sunday evening but a Monday washout seemed to help the 21st seed, who powered into the quarter-finals with a 7-6 (7-0) 6-3 triumph over the Romanian sixth seed.
Play resumed for a second time just after 3pm local time in Paris on Tuesday, following an earlier half-hour stint between the rain, but conditions remained heavy and drizzly.
Halep never recovered from a 7-0 drubbing in the first set tie-break and 2010 runner-up Stosur closed out the second with a single break of serve to reach the last eight in the French capital for the first time since 2012.
Next up for Stosur will be the unseeded Bulgarian Pironkova, who reeled off 10 games in succession on the resumption of her match with second seed Radwanksa to turn a 2-6 0-3 deficit into a 2-6 6-3 6-3 victory.
The 28-year-old, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2010 and quarter-finalist in 2011, is ranked 102 in the world but adapted far better to the conditions in Paris to advance to the last eight.
Radwanska, who was hampered by an old hand injury, and Halep were both unhappy after their defeats and accused French Open organisers of not caring about the players.
"I had surgery a few years ago and I couldn't really play in those conditions, end of story," said Radwanska.
"I'm just so surprised and angry that we have to play in the rain. I mean, it's not a 10,000 tournament [the lowest level of professional tennis]. It's a Grand Slam. How can you allow players to play in the rain? I cannot play in those conditions.
"I don't know who allows us to play in these kind of conditions. I don't think they really care what we think. I think they care about other things, I guess."
Halep said: "I cannot comment about the conditions, I have no words. It was impossible to play, in my opinion. And to play tennis matches during the rain, I think it's a bit too much.
"No one cares about the players, in my opinion. I don't care that I lost the match today, but I was close to getting injured with my back, so that's a big problem. But, like I said, no one cares. We have just to go and play.
"The court was not good. The balls were wet, completely wet during the match. I felt some pain in my back, in my Achilles. Sam was stronger and she played better today, and these conditions I think are good for her because she has a lot of topspin."
Asked why she thought play continued despite the conditions, Halep said: "Maybe they are scared because the days are going on and they don't play matches.
"But it's not our fault. It's not their fault. But the decisions were not, I think, the best. I didn't feel sure on court, safe on court."
Organisers will fully refund fans that came on Monday, but, because two hours of play - almost exactly - was possible on Tuesday, no refunds can be claimed.
