Angry Radwanska, Halep Lose, No Men’s Matches Finish at Rain-Shortened French Open

Only two matches were completed amidst rainy conditions on Tuesday at the French Open.
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Both were upsets, and both losers were pissed off at the slow, boggy conditions, playing in drizzling rain, and lack of an indoor stadium at Roland Garros.

In fourth-round play Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova upset No. 2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, and No. 21 Sam Stosur beat No. 6 Simona Halep 7-6(0), 6-3.

Pironkova and Stosur were all smiles afterwards.

Radwanska and Halep — not so much.

“I’m just so surprised and angry, that we have to play in the rain,” Radwanska said. “It’s not a $10,000 tournament. It’s a Grand Slam. How can you allow players to play in the rain? I cannot play in that conditions.”

The heavy, wet balls saw Radwanska request a medical timeout in the third set for her right hand which underwent surgery years back.

“Playing with those balls in that kind of court is pretty much impossible,” she said. “So, I mean, I tried. Maybe I played worse, did worse things other days than when we start to play that match, but it definitely shouldn’t be like this. We shouldn’t play in that kind of rain. Why? We still have couple of days of tournament. What’s the point?”

Halep also ripped organizers over the injury possibilities.

“I don’t care that I lost the match today, but I was close to get injured with my back, so that’s a big problem,” she said. “In my opinion [Stosur] played really well and she deserved to win. Her ball was very heavy to return, and her serve especially. She did a great match….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. But everyone was in the same situation, and who was stronger won today.”

Pironkova with a reputation as a fast-court player says she will take the win.

“I could say I’m surprised, but I think coming to the tournament I was in a very good shape,” Pironkova said. “My results in the previous [claycourt] tournaments didn’t show it, but I was feeling good. Every time someone from the media or my friends asked me, ‘How are you feeling?’ I was like, It’s strange, but I feel very good.”

Stosur will in the quarters face Pironkova, and says anything can happen at this French Open.

“Tennis is something…it can change quickly,” Stosur said. “I was reading the other day, Shelby Rogers, she lost in qualifying in Strasbourg and now she’s in the quarters. One tournament to the next, smallest tournament on tour and the biggest one. She’s had polar opposite results. Shows how quickly things can turn around. Also, the margins are so small. You can make big changes very quickly if you’re prepared to, you know, take them.”

No men’s matches were completed on the day as Novak Djokovic-Roberto Bautista-Agut were at one set all with Djokovic leading 4-1 in the third, Dominic Them and Marcel Granollers were at one set all, and other men’s matches were in the first set.

FRENCH OPEN WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE
Philippe-Chatrier Court 11:00 AM Start
Serena Williams (USA)[1] vs. Elina Svitolina (UKR)[18]
Novak Djokovic (SRB)[1] vs. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)[14] To Finish 3-6 6-4 4-1
Not Before: 2:00 PM
Richard Gasquet (FRA)[9] vs. Andy Murray (GBR)[2]
Samantha Stosur (AUS)[21] vs. Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL)

Suzanne-Lenglen Court 11:00 AM Start
Venus Williams (USA)[9] vs. Timea Bacsinszky (SUI)[8]
David Ferrer (ESP)[11] vs. Tomas Berdych (CZE)[7] To Finish 2-1
Not Before: 2:00 PM
Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) vs. Stan Wawrinka (SUI)[3]
Shelby Rogers (USA) vs. Garbine Muguruza (ESP)[4]