It was the latest official start to a match in Australian Open history, delayed because of the duration of the four matches previously played on centre court that day.

While it didn't finish anywhere near as late as the epic battle between Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis at Melbourne Park in 2008 (4.34am), it did start later at 11.58pm – 11 minutes past the start of the Hewitt-Baghdatis match.

"We were constantly communicating with the players and their respective teams," tournament director Craig Tiley said.

"They are total professionals and were fully understanding of the situation which was that matches went unexpectedly long and we had a full stadium keen to see them play."

​Given the premium price for a night session ticket on Rod Laver Arena, postponing the Dimitrov-Gasquet match would have been met with plenty of angst from fans, who forked out close to $130 for the cheapest ticket on the night.

The players would have also been disadvantaged had the match been postponed, losing a day's recovery given their opponents all have a day off between matches at a grand slam.

Dimitrov, who prevailed in straight sets in just over two hours, estimated he wouldn't go to sleep until 5am given the 2am finish to his match.

"Hopefully by 5 I'm going to be done with everything," Dimitrov said straight after the win.

"All the stretchings, the rehab, just sleep in, come back tomorrow, hit some balls. Kind of go to bed again."

By the time Dimitrov and Gasquet stepped on to court, the schedule was already three hours and 17 minutes behind the average on Rod Laver Arena in the first week.

However broadcasters Eurosport were the big winners from the late start, earning the highest ratings of the tournament to date given the time difference.

"A lot of thoughts can go through your head around that time," Dimitrov said.

"The past couple of days I've been going to bed pretty late just to get the feel going to bed late. I don't fall asleep if the match goes on ... we had matches in the past finishing four, five in the morning. It's in the game. Whatever it is, it's in the game. I just had to deal with whatever was in front of me. Yeah, I'm just moving along now."

The first match on centre court between Dominika Cibulkova and Ekaterina Makarova lasted almost three hours, but Serena Williams' 66 minute demolition of fellow American Nicole Gibbs appeared to have things back on track.

However Rafael Nadal's four hour, five set marathon victory over teenager Alexander Zverev – followed by a 40 minute clean up of Rod Laver Arena for the change between day and night session ticket holders – meant the schedule was delayed by two hours.

Australian Daria Gavrilova opened the night session (9.05pm) but she chose the long road to victory, edging out Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky in two hours and 34 minutes over three sets.

At a Rio de Janeiro ATP tournament in 2015, Nadal complained about the lateness of a match that began at 1.13am, not leaving the court until 3.18am.

"No tennis tournament should end at this time," Nadal said at the time.
 
"It's tough for the players, but maybe worse for the fans. It very bad on the part of the ATP. It's not the tournament's fault. It was the ATP that didn't want to reschedule a match. If it's a grand slam you have a day to rest. It's seems like a terrible error to me."

The ATP since implemented a policy that has allowed them the flexibility to reschedule matches but no definitive rule has been put in place.

In 2004 Wimbledon imposed a curfew that all matches would finish at 11pm, however there has since been one exception with Andy Murray winning a match against Baghdatis at 11.02pm back in 2012.​