Andy Murray’s 10th victory over Novak Djokovic came in controversial circumstances at the 2016 Italian Open.
Murray defeated Djokovic in straight sets on the Italian clay in Rome to lift his the 12th Masters title of his career.
Murray and Djokovic’s incredible ATP Tour rivalry saw the two legends face each other 36 times since 2006.
In 2016, Murray beat Djokovic but the Serbian was far from happy about the court conditions at the Italian Open.
Novak Djokovic complained about ‘very muddy’ court
Djokovic was well-beaten by Murray, who rushed to a 6-3 6-3 win over his rival, but the Serbian hated the playing conditions in Rome.
During the match, Djokovic even asked the umpire to stop the match so the conditions could be amended.
After the match, he explained: “I didn’t ask him to postpone the match. I asked to have a little break where we would give a little time, maybe five more minutes, to people to arrange the court.
“The chair umpire knew that the forecast was good. There was not going to be any rain. I didn’t see any reason why we couldn’t stop.
“We played on a very, very heavy court because it was raining for an hour and it was very muddy behind the baseline. In three games I literally could have twisted my ankle two or three times.”
Djokovic believed that the court could have been fateful for both players, and he did not feel safe during the match.
“I asked him: ‘Is it necessary that somebody gets injured?’ [before] he realises what’s going on? It’s his decision whether or not the court is playable but to me it’s ridiculous that [in] casual shoes he comes out and just slides on the line and says, ‘OK, the court is good.’
“We can laugh about it now but it’s not just a matter of whether or not you’re going to play better, win or lose. It’s a matter of keeping yourself healthy.
“Conditions like we had today … the risk for an injury is much higher than it [should] be. Behind the baseline especially, where we move the most, was heavy, muddy, very, very wet.”
Djokovic got his revenge on Murray very quickly, by defeating the British star in the final of Roland Garros a week later.
Andy Murray agreed with Novak Djokovic’s complaints
Murray might have dealt with the conditions far better than Djokovic, but he still saw issues with the court in Rome.
Speaking during his trophy celebrations, Murray said: “It was the lines that were the issue. They were extremely wet and you could see sometimes when the ball hits the line it just takes off. And it pretty much rained for a large portion of the match.
“It is a difficult one because, if something was to happen to one of the players in that situation, either of us would be absolutely gutted and unhappy. If it was like at the beginning of the clay season maybe it would have been a bit different.
“But, with the French [Open] starting in one week, if you get a problem it can really hamper your preparations and your chances of winning there – so I can understand that.”
Murray would beat Djokovic just one more time in his playing career, in the final of the ATP Finals in 2016.
