Rather than slide into shots, Djokovic was more concerned about keeping his feet in 36 minutes of pure farce that will be the focus of a major inquest if Djokovic does not recover his gait when the rain stops tumbling from the Paris skies.
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But having lost the first set 6-3 in heavy, slow conditions, he was relieved to leave behind the ghostly show court at 1245 local time (1045GMT) where just a smattering of spectators, huddled beneath umbrellas, braved the miserable chill.
Rules state no money is returned if there is more than two hours play – and action on Court Philippe Chatrier was finally suspended after two hours and one minute of persistent drizzle on Tuesday.
“Aside from the result, I loved the match Richard played (on Sunday), he played very a good match like I’d dreamed of seeing him play”, said Noah.
“Last year I chose to train in Barcelona for nearly two weeks before my first clay court tournament, and I came into the clay court Masters tournaments playing some of the best tennis I’ve ever played”.
Second seed Agnieszka Radwanska lost 2-6 6-3 6-3 to Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova and Australian Samantha Stosur beat Romanian sixth seed Simona Halep 7-6(0) 6-3. “I think they care about other things”.
“I have no words”.
“I’m just so surprised and angry that, you know, we have to play in the rain”, said Radwanska, the 2012 Wimbledon runner-up. The balls were completely wet.
“Regardless of whether it’s an Olympic year or not, I will still continue to work as hard as I can in everything I do, on and off the court”. “No-one cares about the players”.
They were the only two matches completed in the two hours play possible by early Tuesday evening after the tournament had suffered its first complete washout in 16 years on Monday.
It is fair to say Novak Djokovic did not receive such an offer at a saturated Roland Garros on Tuesday morning when he was sent out to contest a lottery draw with Roberto Bautista Agut rather than a tennis match.
The Serb had already dropped serve five times against a man he has defeated four times in four outings.
Second seed Andy Murray’s quarter-final match against home hope Richard Gasquet was due to be the third match on Philippe-Chatrier Court, but at 5.15pm local time, it was confirmed the Scot would have to wait until tomorrow to resume his bid for a first title at Roland Garros.
Later on Tuesday, if conditions allow, defending womens champion Serena Williams will play Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.
Also, Kiki Bertens faces No. 15 Madison Keys in their first meeting and No. 12 Carla Suarez Navarro plays Yulia Putintseva.
Gulbis led Goffin 3-0 in the first set on Court One when play was eventually halted but not before Goffin had complained over the conditions which he claimed were too risky.
Gulbis, a 2014 semi-finalist, had even picked up his bag and started to walk off in protest before he was summoned back by the chair umpire.
And in the only other match to get under way Dominic Thiem and Marcel Granollers are level at one set apiece, the unseeded Spaniard hitting back to take the second set in a tie-break after three breaks of serve gave Thiem the opener 6-2.
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The seven-time Grand Slam champion leads Bacsinszky 2-0 – beating her two years ago at the U.S. Open and six years earlier at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
