SME News UK. Centre Court roof debate reignited as Andy Murray criticises closure decision; Dimitrov\u2019s coach insists injury unrelatedGrigor Dimitrov\u2019s dream run at Wimbledon came to a heartbreaking end on Monday evening, as the Bulgarian was forced to retire with a pectoral injury despite leading world No. 1 Jannik Sinner by two sets to love on Centre Court.The match, which had the potential to become one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, was abruptly halted during the fifth game of the third set. Dimitrov, clearly in pain, was unable to continue and left the court close to tears, comforted by a sympathetic Sinner before disappearing into the locker room.The unexpected retirement came shortly after a 13-minute pause in play, when the Centre Court roof was closed at around 8:30pm. The decision, met with widespread scrutiny, drew sharp criticism from two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, who took to social media to voice his frustration.\u201cSo ridiculous to close the roof at this stage of the match,\u201d Murray posted on X (formerly Twitter). \u201cAt least an hour of light left\u2026 well over a set of tennis can still be played… it’s an outdoor tournament!”However, Dimitrov\u2019s coach Jamie Delgado dismissed suggestions that the roof closure played a role in the injury. Speaking to the BBC, Delgado said:> \u201cI don\u2019t think so. I know some people might feel that way. But Grigor, after the match, was actually liking when the roof went on, because he felt it got a little bit warmer in there and his body loosened up even more.\u201dDelgado acknowledged the broader debate over the use of the roof, but maintained that the injury was likely unrelated.> \u201cIt\u2019s a separate question whether it should have been closed or not. I don\u2019t think it made a difference in his actual injury. But it should be an outdoor tournament and you should play outdoors for as long as possible \u2013 I don\u2019t disagree with that.\u201dDimitrov, 34, has now retired from five consecutive Grand Slam matches, and his emotional state post-match reflected the toll such misfortunes have taken. Delgado said his player was \u201ccompletely gutted, disappointed, heartbroken.\u201d> \u201cThe work that he\u2019s put in to get to this stage and play in these kinds of matches against someone like Sinner\u2026 Wimbledon\u2019s his favourite tournament,\u201d said Delgado. \u201cIt was one of the matches of his career \u2013 tactically perfect, executed to perfection. As a team, we believed he could win that match, and who knows what might have happened from there?\u201dDimitrov is expected to be out for several weeks, with medical assessments ongoing to determine the full extent of the injury. Delgado admitted the emotional recovery could prove just as challenging.> \u201cIt\u2019s getting harder to pick yourself up from these lows. The next couple of months will be tough.\u201dMeanwhile, Sinner, who also suffered a minor injury after slipping and landing on his elbow early in the match, is due for an MRI scan on Tuesday. The Italian remains scheduled to face Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.> \u201cIt didn\u2019t seem a tough one, but I still felt it quite a lot, especially on the serve and forehand,\u201d said Sinner. \u201cWe\u2019re going to check it \\[on Tuesday] and then see.\u201dAs Wimbledon enters its final stretch, the debate over Centre Court roof closures and the toll of high-stakes tennis continues \u2014 with Dimitrov\u2019s untimely exit adding another chapter to the tournament\u2019s dramatic narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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SME News UK. Centre Court roof debate reignited as Andy Murray criticises closure decision; Dimitrov\u2019s coach insists injury unrelatedGrigor Dimitrov\u2019s dream run at Wimbledon came to a heartbreaking end on Monday evening, as the Bulgarian was forced to retire with a pectoral injury despite leading world No. 1 Jannik Sinner by two sets to love…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1631,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tennis"],"yoast_head":"\n