Wimbledon 2014: Andy Murray on march as Stanislas Wawrinka hits out at officials over scheduling

Wawrinka was unhappy that his third-round match never got on court on Saturday, when rain interrupted the programme for more than four hours

Andy Murray celebrates after beating South African Kevin Anderson in straight sets in their fourth-round match (PA)

Andy Murray is a happy man after becoming the first of the big guns to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals, but one of his main rivals attacked All England Club officials for their scheduling of matches. “They don’t listen to the player,” Stanislas Wawrinka, the Australian Open champion, protested.

Murray secured a place in the last eight for the seventh year in succession by winning his fourth-round match against South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-3, 7-6. He will have a day’s rest before his quarter-final on Wednesday against Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Leonardo Mayer in straight sets.

The Scot’s schedule is looking much more favourable than that of Wawrinka or Feliciano Lopez, who won their delayed third-round matches on Monday. The Swiss and the Spaniard will meet in the fourth round on Tuesday knowing that the winner will have to play again on Wednesday, for the third day in a row, against Roger Federer or Tommy Robredo.

“They don’t listen to the player. They just do what they think is good for them.” (PA)

Wawrinka was unhappy that his third-round match never got on court on Saturday, when rain interrupted the programme for more than four hours. The world No 3 was scheduled to play the last match on Court One but had expected tournament officials to move some junior or doubles matches to enable third-round singles matches to be completed. Instead his match was called off for the day just as play resumed on all courts late in the afternoon.

If either Wawrinka or Lopez reach the final they will have played five matches in seven days. Magnus Norman, Wawrinka’s coach, described such a schedule as “not really human”. Wawrinka said: “Playing five-set matches is never easy. If you look at this week, [Lopez or myself] will have to play three five-set matches in three days. It’s terrible for the body.” As for the attitude of tournament officials, he said: “I’m used to it here. They just do what they think is good for them and that’s it.”

Murray said that sometimes the scheduling worked in a player’s favour and on other occasions it did not. “You just have to get on with it,” he said. “I think we shouldn’t really worry about it. You’re going into possibly playing best-of-five-set matches three days in a row.”