The possibility of a match between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic at the Geneva Open was in jeopardy on Monday, as Murray faced potential elimination from the tournament.
During the match against Yannick Hanfmann, Murray, who received a wild card, found himself trailing 7-5, 4-1 when a thunderstorm halted play for the night at the Parc des Eaux-Vives grounds.
Tennis enthusiasts had eagerly anticipated a potential showdown between members of the dominant Big Four - Djokovic, Murray, Rafael Nadal, and the retired Roger Federer - following the tournament draw on Friday.
Murray, aged 37 and competing with a metal hip, indicated that his time in competitive tennis may be limited to the next few months. Similarly, Nadal, also battling injuries, is uncertain about his future in the sport and whether he will participate in Roland Garros next week.
Ranked 75th in the world, Murray was pitted against the 85th ranked German, Yannick Hanfmann, in the Geneva first round. The victor of this match would face world number one Djokovic in the second round.
The 28-man clay court tournament in Geneva serves as a crucial warm-up before the upcoming French Open, the second Grand Slam event of the year.
Former world number one and three-time Grand Slam winner Murray made his return to tour-level competition after sustaining ankle tendon damage during the Miami event in March.
The match with Hanfmann is set to resume on Tuesday, and the winner will go head-to-head with Djokovic on Wednesday.
Djokovic, in a bid to regain form ahead of his French Open title defense, accepted a wild card to participate in the Geneva tournament. The 24-time Grand Slam champion risks entering the Paris event without a title in the season for the first time since 2018 unless he clinches the Geneva trophy.
The Geneva draw also includes Norwegian world number seven, Casper Ruud, and other top 20 players such as Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, and Sebastian Baez.
Murray and Djokovic's last encounter was in the 2017 Doha final, which Djokovic won. Murray's Grand Slam titles include the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016, with a total of 11 appearances in Grand Slam finals.
