First, the good news. After all his French Open heroics, Thanasi Kokkinakis has been given a well-deserved showcourt date for his last-32 clash against American No.1 Taylor Fritz at the French Open on Saturday.
The bad news? The court doesn't have a roof. Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion. After this wettest, most wearisome week at Roland Garros, Australian warrior Kokkinakis, who's endured more than eight hours of on-court slog over two matches and maybe twice as long watching the rain come down, just wanted a stress-free third round under one of the two roofed courts.
"I hope I get a good court with a roof - I don't feel like I've played a match this whole clay-court swing in Europe without a rain delay. Everything's been under lights with rain," sighed Kokkinakis after prevailing in two soggy, stop-start, five-set wins. Instead, the popular Adelaide player has got only half his wish.
Court Simmone Mathieu, the third showcourt, may be its loveliest arena, but it's uncovered on what could be another in a procession of dank days. Kokkinakis jokes if he starts off as he did in his last match against Italian Giulio Zeppieri, he wouldn't have wanted the horror to have been seen on a show court anyway. "The fewer people watching that, the better," he noted.
These slow starts are a problem for the 28-year-old, who was also a set - and almost two sets - down to Alexei Popyrin in his opener. Now he has to stop being a marathon man a.
