Sinner calls for better match scheduling at the Madrid Open after his 20th straight win

MADRID (AP) — Jannik Sinner wants better scheduling of matches at the Madrid Open, saying the night session “messes up the whole day” for players.

Sinner had a morning start on Tuesday and defeated Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-5 to earn his 20th straight win on tour and reach the quarterfinals of the ATP-WTA event in the Spanish capital.

The world No. 1 said he was OK playing at whatever time he was scheduled, but the late matches — some of which have finished past 1 a.m. local time — were “not easy” on the players’ “body and mind.”

“Even if you have a day off, the fans they see only us on court, and then we finish at 1:15 (a.m.). But then you have press conference, recovery, eating, treatment, you know, you don’t go to bed until 4 or 5,” he said. “It messes up the whole day. So I think we can do better, definitely, in this point of view.”

Spanish teen Rafael Jódar, who is Sinner’s possible next opponent, had a very late finish on Sunday after defeating Brazil’s Rafael Fonseca in three sets.

“It’s tough when you schedule two matches starting from 8 (p.m.),” Sinner said. “You cannot pretend that matches are over in one and a half hours each, and at 11 (p.m.) the first game is over. When Jódar played in the night it was very, very late, going on court around 11, finish around 1, 1:15. In my point of view that’s too late.”

Sinner said it was “common sense” that he played at 11 a.m. on Tuesday and Jódar started his match at 4 p.m. “because he needs also a little bit more of rest.”

Sinner’s quarterfinal is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday at the Caja Magica.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis