Shanghai Masters bosses face backlash as players pile on criticism | Tennis | Sport
So far at this year’s Shanghai Masters, the average court pace index has been 32.8, down from last year’s figure of 40.8 – and the players aren’t happy.
No. 7 seed De Minaur said he got a “shock to the system” when he stepped onto the Stadium court to face Camilo Ugo Carabelli on Saturday, which was even slower than the outdoor practice courts, and explained the effects of the new speed.
“Yeah, it feels like the slowest conditions I’ve played on tour. The balls get humongous after a couple games, and the speed of the court is very, very slow,” the Aussie said.
“It’s also significantly slower than the outside courts, so that was a little bit of a shock to the system. But, yeah, I mean, there’s nothing really you can do but just adapt and just deal with it. So I’m glad that I was able to find a way to win.”
Fritz was also quick to call out the slower surface when he came from behind to beat Fabian Marozsan 2-6 7-6 7-6 in his opening match on Friday.
The world No. 5 explained: “It is incredibly slow. If I’m being honest, it’s a very bad change here. Last year, the courts were obviously fast on the speed index, but the balls were very slow, so I actually thought the tournament here was played on the slightly slower side, but it was alright.
“It wasn’t like insanely slow. Now they slowed the courts down. The balls are maybe not quite as slow, but they’re still pretty slow. You play three balls into the ball change, and they’re massive, and you can’t do anything with the ball. Not to mention the humidity as well. It slows it down as well. It feels like the ball’s not going anywhere.”
The humidity clearly bothered Fritz when he faced Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Sunday. By the end of the match, the American was doubling over to catch his breath in between some gruelling rallies, and he suffered a shock 6-4 7-5 defeat.
Former finalist Zverev was arguably the most vocal in his criticism of the slower courts in Shanghai, suggesting that all tournament bosses were changing the speeds to favour Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
“I hate when it’s the same, to be honest. And I think that the tournament directors are going towards that direction because, obviously, they want Jannik and Carlos to do well every tournament, and that’s what they prefer,” the world No. 3 claimed.
But Sinner wasn’t having it. When Zverev’s comments were put to him, the Ialian replied: “You know, me and Carlos, we don’t make the courts. It’s not our decision. We try to adapt ourselves in every situation. I feel like still every week is a bit different.
“I’ve played some great tennis even when it was faster courts. But I’m not making the courts, you know, so I just try to adapt and play my best tennis I can, and that’s it.”
Whether or not Zverev’s theory is correct, there’s no doubt that the court speed is significantly slower in Shanghai this year. But as Sinner argued, the players must adapt if they want to progress through the tournament.
