Italian Open: Frances Tiafoe unhappy as match with Lorenzo Musetti continues in rain – ‘How are we possibly playing?’

Frances Tiafoe was unhappy during his third round match against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti as rain came onto the court, but the match continued.

Rain began to descend on Grandstand in their round of 32 match late on in the second set.

Alexander Zverev’s match against J.J Wolf on Pietrangeli was suspended for several minutes before the decision was eventually made to do the same in Tiafoe’s match with Musetti leading 5-7 6-4 2-1.

Tiafoe was unhappy that the pair had to keep playing with the rain coming down under the lights.

“Frances, the court is fine for now,” chair umpire Jaume Campistol said early on in the third set when the American was a set and a break down.

Tiafoe responded: “It’s absolutely pouring with rain. The lines are slick as hell. How are we playing?”

Campistol replied: “If the court is fit to play we have to continue.”

Tiafoe then complained to match supervisor Ali Nili in the far corner to stop the match, but play continued as the rain got heavier.

Tiafoe repeatedly made his feelings known towards the match umpire and said that it would have been stopped if he was not playing an Italian.

“How are we playing on this court right now,” he said. “How! How are we possibly playing on this court when it’s raining this hard?

“I don’t care! How are we playing on this? How? You’re joking. Every single one of you is playing tricks.

“Of course you won’t stop this as I’m playing an Italian.”

Eventually with Tiafoe 2-1 down in the third set, play was suspended due the rain. But Tiafoe was still unhappy that they had remained on the court for long.

“I was complaining to you in the first game,” Tiafoe said to the umpire.

“Don’t say ‘I know’ because I’m down a break man… I don’t care about what the radar says I’m looking at the sky. This is exactly what I’m talking about. But now we stop.

“It’s the same thing the other day. How are we playing? You are on the court and you’re watching it.

“How much do I complain? I’ve been on the tour for eight years, have I ever brought you on the court? We stop now.”

Nili then entered the court and Tiafoe let his feelings be known to him.

“It’s been raining on the court but you’ve known that the whole time,” he said.

“Look at the court. It’s the same how it is now but we stop now? I don’t understand when a player is complaining it doesn’t matter. You can’t play on the court.”

Barry Cowan on commentary said: “I’m definitely in the Tiafoe camp. I think he’s been dealt a really rough ride here.”

Earlier in the match in front of a boisterous Italian crowd, Tiafoe also said to the umpire that the Italian Open had the “worst towels in the game”.

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