For the third year in a row, the native of Gassin stalled at the start of the‘The Australian Open. Arthur Rinderknech gave in this Monday to the American Frances Tiafoe after an intense battle, 7-6(2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-3. The Frenchman released 33 aces and 70 winning shots but that was not enough to make a comeback. Sick at the end of the fourth set then victim of stomach aches, Tiafoe yet managed to conclude the match and frustrate a Rinderknech who could not take advantage of the situation. Obviously, the disappointment was strong at the end of the meeting.
Video – Stefanos Tsitsipas, also KO at the Australian Open
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“This 5th set, for me, is quite scandalous on the part of the referee”
“What’s left… From the disappointment of not having caught it, despite coming back, little by little finding my game, my rhythm, my level whatever“, he explained to The Team before discussing arbitration. “He knew how to use his experience, the referee let him play with his experience. Which is quite difficult for me to accept too. This 5th set, for me, is quite scandalous on the part of the referee. It’s part of the game, he knew how to take advantage of it. He “sabotaged” the 5th set a bit, the referee left him and it was a bit disjointed for me in the 5th (…) Today for me, clearly, he had an advantage in the 5th set. Do I lose the match because of this? Surely not. Would it have been more “fair” in the 5th, if we had been refereed fairly? Surely yes. Would I have won? Maybe not.”
“There is inconsistency in the arbitration”
He then continued. “But when the referee put pressure on me after three games in the first set, when I went over by a second, while we had intervals at 1’15”, 1’30 ” repeatedly on his service games in the 5th set, there is inconsistency in the refereeing and that’s what annoys me a little. But again, if I had played the first two. sets like the 3rd and 4th, there wouldn’t have been a 5th and we wouldn’t talk about all that.”
