Emma Raducanu says Australian Open schedule ‘does not make sense’

MELBOURNE: Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu has criticised the scheduling at the Australian Open starting Sunday, saying “it does not make sense”.

The 2021 winner at Flushing Meadows begins her Melbourne campaign in the last match of the first day on Margaret Court Arena, following a men’s clash.

If the first-round match between Kazakhstan’s 10th seed Alexander Bublik and Jenson Brooksby of the United States goes to five sets, Raducanu could be looking at a start close to midnight.

The 23-year-old Briton, who faces Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand, said: “I think it’s very difficult to be scheduling women’s matches after a potential five-set match.

“To me, it doesn’t really make as much sense.

“But I think after seeing it, you know, the initial reaction is probably, oh, it’s a late one.

“Then you deal with it, and you try and shift your day and adjust.”

The 28th-seeded Raducanu faces a tight turnaround after travelling to Melbourne following her quarter-final defeat on Thursday in a warm-up event in Hobart.

“You would love to have more time in the environment, more time practising,” she said.

“But I guess I was pretty much handed the schedule to try and turn it around and make the most out of what is in front of me.”