After "suffering upset losses in the fourth round of the French Open," Agnieszka Radwanska and Simona Halep "sounded off against tournament officials, saying their matches should have never been sent out in dreary, wet conditions," according to Nick McCarvel of USA TODAY. Radwanska said, "I'm just so surprised and angry ... we have to play in the rain." Halep: "I didn’t feel safe on court. This is not right to happen." The tournament suffered its "first washout in 16 years" on Monday. Yesterday, it "rained heavily in the morning again, with players not going on court until early afternoon." But it was "a start-and-stop situation from there, with fourth round matches spread across four courts." Rain has "wreaked havoc on this French Open, with the tournament dealing with opening-weekend delays and now precipitation the last four days." Halep: "It was impossible to play, in my opinion. And to play tennis matches during the rain I think it's a bit too much." In the match following Halep’s, David Goffin and Ernests Gulbis "walked off the court, ignoring the calls of tournament officials to come back" (USA TODAY, 6/1). Radwanska: "I don’t know who allows us to play in that kind of condition. I mean, I don’t think they really care what we think. I think they care about other things, I guess. ... I’m just pissed. I just cannot play in (those) conditions. I mean, I’m not healthy enough" (TENNIS.com, 5/31).
WEATHER MEN: Novak Djokovic said after his fourth round win today in the French Open over Roberto Bautista Agut, which had been delayed after rain yesterday, "Just hanging in there mentally, trying to hold your composure and trying to be serene in the tough moments, very challenging moments, especially in the conditions that we had in the last three days with plenty of interruptions. The conditions are obviously slower because balls get very big and very wet and the court as well, it gets very muddy” (“Tennis Channel Live at Roland Garros,” Tennis Channel, 6/1). Tennis Channel’s Bill Macatee said of the conditions yesterday when Djokovic-Agut began, "Not ideal conditions. You wonder if circumstances were different, if they hadn’t missed the entire schedule yesterday, if they'd even be playing today, at least right now.” Tennis Channel's Jim Courier added, “This ball, by the way, is so muddy and dirty it looks like one your dog plays with” (“French Open,” Tennis Channel, 5/31).
