I know the Ozzies can be a bit odd, but playing tennis until after 3 o'clock in the morning is just barbaric. And totally unfair on the players. I know they didn't start until after midnight, but even that is plain daft. Small wonder there were only 250 spectators in the 10,000 seater arena at the end.
Yes I noticed that. But this has been going on for years. It gives all other countries a chance to watch on tv. It must be hard to motivate yourself to play at midnight though.
I can't see what's wrong with playing tennis at three in the morning. Indeed, it might even favour competitors from the other side of the world, whose body clocks are still telling them to be wide awake at that time. Sport should always be just as much about pure stamina as it is about skill and playing matches late into the night would seem to be an excellent way to test stamina.
Ridiculous to start a tennis match after midnight.
The players would have had to go through dope-testing, massage, ice bath and press conferences after the match, leaving the winner in no fit state for the next round.
Both TTT. They schedule so many matches over a day, but if their estimates get over-run (not uncommon) then following matches are delayed (which is what happened here, but the organisers were determined to get all the matches in come hell or high water).