Novak Djokovic request ignored as Serb gets dreaded French Open fate despite plea

Novak Djokovic said he didn't want the night session match on Saturday

Novak Djokovic has been shafted with the match schedule that nobody wants, as he will face Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic in Saturday’s night session. Usually the primetime slot at the French Open, this time players were dreading getting the evening call-up as it clashes with the Champions League final. The three-time champion was among the players asking the tournament not to put him on the main stadium court on Saturday evening so he could tune in to support PSG. But his plea went unanswered, and he will take to the court at 8.15pm local time - 45 minutes before kickoff in Munich. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Djokovic also had to play the night session match on the middle Saturday last year, clashing with Real Madrid’s game against Dortmund. He took to the court to face Lorenzo Musetti much later than planned when another match was added to the schedule to be finished following rain delays, and play finished around 3am local time. The world No. 6 had been hoping to avoid a repeat this year, as he admitted he was planning to watch PSG take on Inter Milan on Saturday night and even sent a cheeky message to those in charge. “It's going to be PSG that I will support. I will definitely watch it if I'm not playing night session. Yeah, that will be nice. FYI, Roland Garros schedule…” he said with a smile after his second-round win on Thursday.

Novak Djokovic takes on qualifier Filip Misolic

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Djokovic wasn’t the only one who wanted to avoid a nighttime match. French No. 1 Arthur Fils has shared his excitement for PSG’s final all week and joked that his next opponent, Andrey Rublev, could request the evening slot to get in his head. The 14th seed said: “I don't know what Rublev ask. Maybe he asked to play night session just to bother me. “No, I'm kidding. I don't know. Let's see about the schedule. Let's hope I'm playing in the afternoon but not during the night.” Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo addressed concerns surrounding the night session’s clash with the Champions League final. At the nearby Parc des Princes, which is less than a kilometre away from Stade Roland Garros, tens of thousands of PSG fans are expected to watch the game on big screens.

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