Marina Erakovic could be forced to play two matches in one day. Photo / Getty Images
BEIJING - Marina Erakovic's tennis coach Michiel Schapers is fuming after his charge was scheduled to play two Olympic singles matches in a day, if she progresses to the second round.
New Zealand's Erakovic will resume her first round match against Japan's Ayumi Morita at 9pm tonight (NZT),
with the winner then having to back up several hours later against China's Li Na who upset Russia's world No 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova yesterday.
Erakovic was serving at 40-30 in the first game of the third set against Morita, with scores tied 1-1, when heavy rain forced a postponement just before 1am local time (5am NZT).
Schapers, the Dutch former world No 25, was staggered tournament organisers would force Erakovic or Morita to play a full set, then another match.
Temperatures in Beijing reached 32degC today, with the sun making a rare appearance.
"I'd have to say it's not a schedule that suits an Olympics," Schapers said.
"If you play one match, then have to play against a fresh player, it doesn't seem logical.
"I've played in Grand Slams and Olympics and I've never seen that happen before."
The match against big local hope Li Na was scheduled third on court one, after back-to-back men's singles matches starting at 9pm (NZT).
If Erakovic beat Morita, Schapers said he would lodge a protest with tournament organisers but he wasn't confident of the match being shifted to tomorrow.
"Marina still has to win her match so it may not be an issue.
"But if she does, we will have a talk to them (organisers) and give our opinion. Probably nothing will happen."
Erakovic wasn't at her best but still had control of her match against Morita last night, winning the first set 7-5 then serving on match point at 7-6 in the second set tiebreak.
But she hit a forehand long, then Morita rattled off three consecutive points to win the tiebreak 9-7 and force a decider.
- NZPA
