feature-image

Imago

feature-image

Imago

Weather conditions have played a major role in this year’s Miami Open. Incessant rainfalls throughout the tournament have disrupted several matches. A few days ago, Coco Gauff was seen absolutely frustrated with the tournament organizers for giving players ‘unrealistic’ times to restart their matches.

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

Recently, Andy Roddick also spoke about the Miami Open rain policy during a conversation with Jon Wertheim on the ‘Served with Andy Roddick’ podcast. He revealed how despite having so many complaints, Coco Gauff saved the day for James Blake by snapping a 52-minute victory in her first match of the 2024 Miami Open.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

ADVERTISEMENT

Andy Roddick reveals one of his ‘favorite things’ from a recent match in Miami Open

During the conversation, Roddick said, “One of my favorite things is that I’m watching the other night. And the radar just looks like you should give up on the day.” He said that the weather conditions that day were so terrible that almost everyone gave up their hopes of having a full match. Then he added, “What people don’t understand is like if they get a match played there are no refunds.” 

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

However, Gauff finished that match in the blink of an eye, defeating Argentina’s Nadia Podoroska by 6-1,6-2. Perhaps this might have brought a sign of relief for Blake.

James Blake has been the tournament director of the Miami Open since 2018. And here’s what Roddick said while elaborating on how Gauff saved the tournament director. “That day so Coco came in and got through a match in about 52 minutes. Saved the day. Saved James Blake for the day,” said Roddick. These disruptions caused during the match made the players unable to get on the court and fulfill their fixtures.

ADVERTISEMENT

Coco Gauff was supposed to take on Podoroska at 11 am local time. But she was made to wait until 5 pm. She was made to sit all day at the venue. Coco Gauff felt the expected times that were given by the tournament organisers for the game to resume were absolutely unfeasible looking at the weather conditions at that time. She lashed out at the Miami Open and here’s what she said about that.

‘Felt a little bit weird’ – Coco Gauff on strange timings given by the tournament organizers 

Coco Gauff said she came at her normal time as per the schedule and she knew immediately that it was going to rain. So, she shortened her warmup sessions before the match and did a few hits in the morning. Elaborating on that incident she jokingly said, “Don’t know if that made a difference because we played so much later.” 

ADVERTISEMENT

She then further went on to add, “Yeah, I was just waiting around, talked to some folks, played some games, read. It felt like a long wait. I was kind of not sure when to eat. Also, the tournament was giving us unrealistic ‘not before’ times, so that felt a little bit weird, too.” No player likes to get disruptions during their matches.

But thankfully for Coco Gauff, she managed to get a victory in such a short amount of time. Share your thoughts on how these frequent stoppages in the game can cause a major problem for a player to find momentum in the game.

ADVERTISEMENT

READ MORE: ‘Don’t Think They Could Give Me Any Advice’- Coco Gauff Draws the Line With Family as She Makes Her On-Court Priorities Clear

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Sayantan Roy

3,225 Articles

Sayantan Roy is a seasoned tennis journalist at EssentiallySports. A former competitive player, he brings a deep tactical understanding to his coverage, breaking down head-to-head records, match dynamics, and on-court strategies with precision. For more than two years, Sayantan has been a key member of the Live Events desk, delivering real-time insights and data-backed predictions for the platform’s Matchday Preview section. His analytical approach has sparked editorial debates and drawn recognition from respected tennis voices, including commentator and analyst Olly_Tennis. Combining his playing experience with a passion for insightful sports journalism, Sayantan’s work serves as a trusted reference point for tennis fans around the world.

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Shudh Mukherjee

ADVERTISEMENT