'Very upset': Aussie star rages over 'ridiculous' Wimbledon farce
Despite claiming a thrilling five-set win over 12th seed Casper Ruud at Wimbledon, Australian gun Jordan Thompson was filthy with All England officials over the state of the courts.
Several players have expressed discontent over the courts this year, with Thompson less than impressed despite a seriously impressive 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 2-6 6-2 over the world No.14.
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Thompson had raced out to a two-set lead but admitted to becoming 'very upset' by the slow pace of the court, allowing Ruud to square the ledger.
Fortunately, the 27-year-old was able to gather himself and win the final set in convincing fashion.
Nevertheless, Thompson was highly critical of Wimbledon officials after the match, complaining that certain courts were drastically slower than they had been in years past.
"Honestly, I was getting very upset at the pace of the court. We're playing on grass courts that are ridiculously slow this year," the 27-year-old Sydneysider complained.
"I don't know what's changed. I feel it's getting slower and slower here every year," he said.
"A five-set match at Wimbledon when three of the sets are 6-2 - a match like that shouldn't be over four hours. That just shows you how slow the courts are and how long rallies are. It should be 30 to 40 minutes a set."
Thompson, who has beaten the likes of Andy Murray at Queens, suggested fans compare footage of previous tournaments to the 2021 competition to see the difference.
He also attributed some of the difficulty to 'fluffier' balls but Wimbledon officials have defended their preparation, saying the process has been the same as previous years despite heavy rainfall in the lead-up to the tournament.
Jordan Thompson wary of challenging Wimbledon draw
Letting out a cry of triumph after overcoming Ruud, Thompson later admitted he was frustrated to have let what could have been a straight sets win turn into a four-hour slugfest.
The Aussie star faces a brutal draw, set to face Japanese star Kei Nishikori in the second round.
"Scheduled for a first round match on Wednesday and it goes four hours - I'm not enamoured of that. I've got to conserve my energy," he said.
"I wouldn't be here if I don't believe I could go deep in the event but it's a pretty tough draw.
"A high seed and then Nishikori next - it doesn't get much tougher than that in a second round of a slam.
"But I'll go out there and give everything I've got.
"Probably I'm the underdog - he's a great player, a top-10 player. He's had injuries but there's no question of his ability and I'll look forward to playing him."
Nishikori is in danger of becoming Australia's public enemy number one following his first round win over Sydney's Alexei Popyrin - who had also felt the courts were remarkably slow - in straight sets on Wednesday.
It's a measure of how tough Nishikori is to beat at Wimbledon that the only men who have defeated the 31-year-old are Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Roberto Bautista-Agut, Marin Cilic, Milos Raonic, Andreas Seppi, Juan Martin Del Potro, Lleyton Hewitt and Rafael Nadal.
Thompson will be out to join a really elite bunch.
With AAP
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