By Mike Dickson for the Daily Mail
Published: 22:30 BST, 7 June 2019 | Updated: 22:31 BST, 7 June 2019
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French Open organisers were under fire again on Friday night after seeming to call off play prematurely with Novak Djokovic in trouble against Dominic Thiem.
Their men’s semi-final was suspended for the day shortly before 6.30pm with the players already off court for a second rain delay, with the Austrian leading 6-2, 3-6, 3-1.
However, a substantial gap in the weather then opened up which ought to have at least allowed the set to have finished. By then Djokovic, who had been struggling in the high winds, had made a swift getaway from Roland Garros.
Dominic Thiem looked disheartened after learning his match with Novak Djokovic was to cease
The game was suspended while Djokovic was on the back foot, much to fans' annoyance
ITV commentator and former French Open champion Jim Courier said he hoped that the decision being made so quickly had ‘a legitimate reason, otherwise this is going to stink’. He added: ‘There is no rule against playing in the wind. For me this should not happen and these players should be on the court.’
A spokesman for the French Tennis Federation said Djokovic had only left the site after being told play had been abandoned, due to the Paris weather radar showing that more rain was imminent.
The Serb had already summoned the referee in the first set to ask at what point the gusts
