• French Open comment

How to turn a thriller into a farce

It was virtually dark when play was finally suspended © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Federer shrugs off slow start to conquer Falla
  
• News: Murray forced to wait after play suspended
  

As the darkness descended and the match official called time on Andy Murray's match against Juan Ignacio Chela on Court 1, boos and jeers were heard coming from Court Philippe Chatrier.

For the second time in three days, the French crowd were watching one of their players snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. After Richard Gasquet's collapse against Murray on Monday, Gael Monfils had thrown away a two-set advantage against Fabio Fognini.

With the match hanging in the balance at 4-4 in the final set, Fognini asked umpire Carlos Bernardes to suspend play. Monfils wanted to continue, and the crowd whistling and jeering, the referee agreed for play to continue. Fognini protested, but was defaulted a point for time wasting. By this time it was almost pitch black, and the players could hardly see past the net.

Fognini held his serve to take a 5-4 lead, and even had the chance to wrap up the match, grabbing two match points on Monfils' serve. It would have been the ultimate irony if Monfils had thrown away the match in the dark.

It is understandable that the tournament organisers want to keep the crowd happy. After all, tennis is a spectator sport and without the support of the thousands of fans who flock to Roland Garros every year, the event would not be half the success it is. But the officials, first and foremost, should have a duty to the players, for their welfare and safety.

In one of the four biggest tournaments on the world tennis stage, with millions of pounds of prize money at stake, the fact that play was allowed to continue in the darkness was absolutely ludicrous. If it had been Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal on court, time would have been called much earlier. But the officials wielded to the will of the crowd, and what should have been a thrilling match was turned into a farce.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.