'Exhausted' Thiem rages at organisers after falling to Verdasco in Rome

World number four and last year's French Open finalist Dominic Thiem, blasted tournament organisers for keeping competitors hanging around all day when play was washed out midweek as he was dumped out of the Italian Open second round on Thursday by Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.

Austrian Thiem, who had received a first round bye as the fifth seed, lost 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, in the final warm-up tournament before the start of Roland Garros on May 26.

Verdasco will play Russian Karen Khachanov, the 13th seed, later in the day for a place in the quarter-finals, as competitors double up after play on Wednesday was wiped out because of rain.

"I really dislike how we players get treated at this tournament because yesterday was, in my opinion, not acceptable," said Thiem.

"They knew that not one ball of tennis was going to be played, and they hold us here until 7.30pm."
- ' Unacceptable' -
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