Matteo Berrettini and Lorenzo Sonego expressed their dissatisfaction with the playing conditions at Wimbledon 2023 , blaming the umpire for forcing them to compete in hazardous conditions. However, it was one particular phrase said by Berrettini what garnered some attention.
The tournament has been marred by controversies, including multiple match cancellations due to rain. During the first-round match between Berrettini and Sonego, both players fell multiple times on the slippery Court 12.
They requested the match to be stopped and postponed, but the umpire insisted that the court was still playable. Berrettini voiced his frustration and questioned the umpire’s decision, leading to further slips and eventually the suspension of the match. The scoreline stood at 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(7), 1-1, and 15-15 in Berrettini’s favor.
Matteo Berrettini defies the umpire at Wimbledon 2023
By the time the match was finally suspended, both players had shown their intentions to stop for the day for several games. The grass was in a very poor condition as the night fell over the All England Club. Despite the request of those who were actually competing, the umpire decided to keep the match going because he thought “it was playable”.
But the most resounding phrase came from the former finalist. “If I get injured, I’m going to sue you. We never fell, we started to fall right now. Why do you think it’s happening? I know that you want us to play, you guys are late, we are late, we want to play as well. But I mean, if we’re falling every time, it’s dangerous. Look what happened, he fell on set point”, Berrettini said.
When is the match going to be resumed?
This matchup between fellow Italian players is set for Thursday on the same court they were playing before the suspension.