Andy Murray ripped into Stefanos Tsitsipas’ sportsmanship following Monday’s grueling loss after a nearly five-hour back-and-forth, saying his game delays influenced the outcome of the match.
Murray, who last won the U.S. Open in 2012, criticized his opponent for what he deemed an unfair tactic, using several delays including medical timeouts and lengthy bathroom breaks, to break his momentum after winning the third set.
NICK KYRGIOS THROWS TANTRUM AT US OPEN OVER TOWELS: ‘IT’S JUST ABSURD FOR ME’
“I think he’s great for the game but I have zero time for that stuff at all and I lost respect for him,” he said. “It’s nonsense. And he knows it, as well.”
Murray was up 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 but Tsitsipas took a medical timeout after the third set to check out his left foot. The very next set he headed off the court again for several minutes.
“It’s never taken me that long to go to the toilet. Ever,” Murray added.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
“It’s just disappointing because I feel it influenced the outcome of the match. I’m not saying I necessarily win that match, for sure, but it had influence on what was happening after those breaks,” he said.
“You could argue that I shouldn’t let that affect me. But genuinely it is difficult, like, when you’re playing such a brutal match in those conditions to have those breaks. Physically you can’t stop that from affecting you. Mentally, yes, but physically you can’t.”
Players in the U.S. Open on Monday played under less-than-ideal conditions, with humidity at 70% and temps ranging in the low 80s.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Tsitsipas, 23, didn’t seem to care much for Murray’s criticisms, saying nothing he did was against the rules.
“If there’s something that he has to tell me, we should speak, the two of us, to kind of understand what went wrong. I don’t think I broke any rules.”
Tsitsipas advanced to the second round after coming back to win the match 2-6, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
