Bizarre wardrobe malfunction brings Grigor Dimitrov and Marton Fuscovics’ Australian Open match to a halt

Bulgarian star Grigor Dimitrov was forced to wait to begin his campaign to win the Australian Open due to a bizarre hold-up concerning his opponent’s outfit on Tuesday.

There was a brief delay at John Cain Arena as Hungarian veteran Marton Fucsovics was ordered to change his shirt before the first-round match could begin.

The issue appeared to be the number of logos visible on Fucsovics’ top – players are not restricted when it comes to the advertising of approved tennis clothing manufacturers on their kit, but can only display up to two “commercial” logos of a certain size.

The Hungarian veteran was told he had too many sponsors’ logos on his outfit

Bulgarian star Grigor Dimitrov came into the Open on the back of his big win in the Brisbane International warm-up tournament

Fucsovics was allowed to continue the warm-up wearing the original shirt as his team retrieved another for him to wear in the match.

Tennis Australia was contacted for comment regarding the delay.

The intervention from the official did the 31-year-old no harm, though, as he claimed an early break over Dimitrov, the 13th seed, as he took the first set 6-4.

However, Dimitrov stormed back to take the second 6-3. 

The drama over the top was reminiscent of the furore surrounding Victoria Azarenka’s decision to wear a Paris Saint-Germain football top at last year’s Australian Open as the French side are her son’s favourite team.

Open officials ordered her to remove the top for her semi final against Elena Rybakina because it featured sponsor logos.

‘They told me to take it off twice because I had a different shirt,’ Azarenka said.

‘I think it’s the issue with the sponsorships. I guess the logos are too big. I mean, it’s not something they’ve done that is out of the ordinary. I know that I’m not allowed to play in that. I knew those type of things.

‘But I can still step on the court in what I want to step on the court.

‘I do it for my own reasons. My son wore the white jersey today to his practice, and I tried to wear a white jersey to my match, but couldn’t. So that’s OK.’ 

The Australian Open is the favourite grand slam of former world No.3 Fuscovics, who has made the quarter-finals three times and reached a semi-final in 2017.

Dimitrov entered the Open fresh off his triumph in the Brisbane International, where he didn’t drop a set after Andy Murray took the first off him in his opening match of the tournament.