Andy Murray was on the brink of a first-round defeat by Yannick Hanfmann at the Geneva Open before play was suspended because of bizarre weather conditions.
The former world number one was trailing 7-5 4-1 in Switzerland when rain started to fall and gusts of wind blew white pollen on to the court.
“It’s like it’s snowing out here and you still want us to keep playing,” Murray argued with umpire Greg Allensworth before it was decided the players should return to the locker room.
Play was cancelled for the day shortly after, and Murray’s match was rescheduled for Tuesday – not before 12:00 BST.
Fellow Briton Jack Draper’s match against Czech Tomas Machac has also been moved to Tuesday.
Wildcard Murray was playing his first ATP Tour-level match since rupturing ankle ligaments at the Miami Open in March.
Unless he can produce a remarkable comeback against Germany’s Hanfmann, the Scot will miss the chance to play world number one Novak Djokovic in the second round.
Last week, 37-year-old Murray made his return at a clay-court ATP Challenger event in Bordeaux after rupturing ankle ligaments in March, but was knocked out in the second round by Frenchman Gregoire Barrere.
The three-time Grand Slam champion has previously said he does not plan to “play much past this summer”, but has not announced where his final tournament will be.
Murray, who is ranked 75th in the world, has been named on the entry list for the French Open, the second major of the season, which starts on 26 May.
2024-05-20 19:31:26
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