Players More Than Just Blue Over New Surface

Written by: Staff on 9th May 2012

Players More Than Just Blue Over New Surface

epa03210845 Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal during a training session held at Caja Magica pavilion in Madrid, Spain, 08 May 2012, prior to taking part at the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament, which runs until 13 May 2012. EPA/JAVIER LIZON |

By Kristen Tracy

If you’ve been living under a tennis rock the past week or so, then you might not realize that a players uproar has begun in Madrid. Okay so maybe it isn’t an uproar, but many ATP and WTA players are extremely unhappy with the new surface chosen for this year’s Mutua Madrid Open. The ATP opted to use a new blue clay rather than the usual red, and no one seems to like it – especially Rafael Nadal, the man expected to dominate the tournament (or any tournament on clay for that matter). His displeasure with the tournament is nothing new, but this is the first time fans have heard something other than the sweet, soft-spoken Nadal we all know and love. Nadal has described the surface as soft and slippery, blaming the ATP entirely for allowing such a drastic surface change in the middle of the clay court season.

“My criticism is not directed at the tournament but at the ATP, which should never have allowed such a change at a tournament of this scale,” Nadal said. “Madrid is one of the best tournaments in the world and does not need this…it should have never been allowed.”

Nadal isn’t the only top player who is frustrated by how the blue clay has affected the quality of play seen by players. Novak Djokovic, current world no. 1 is just as annoyed. “When you slide on red clay you have a feeling you can stop and recover from that step. But here, whatever you do you are always slipping,” said Djokovic, who struggled greatly in his first match of the tournament. “Not a single player – not woman not man – I didn’t hear anyone say ‘I like blue clay.'”

Top women’s players Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka are also unhappy with the sleekness of the blue clay. Both Wozniacki and Azarenka had to fight extremely hard to win their first matches – matches that should have been easily won, but were made more difficult by how slippery the new courts are. Wozniacki even rolled her ankle in her opening match.

The ATP has responded to such criticisms by reiterating the fact that this new surface is only a test run: “The ATP granted this permission for one year with the understanding that it will be reviewed following the event, of course taking into account feedback from players.”

Anyone else think the chances of us ever seeing the blue clay again are pretty slim?
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Topics: 10sballs.com, ATP tennis news, blue clay, Blue Surface, Caroline Wozniacki, deportes, Kristen Tracy, Madrid tennis news, Mutua Madrid Open, notices del tenis, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Sports, tenis español, Tennis, Victoria Azarenka, WTA tennis news