It’s proving to be a French Open like no other. Played in autumn rather than summer, some players have been complaining about the cold weather and the tournament’s switch from Babolat to Wilson balls.
“The ball is completely different,” defending men’s champion Rafael Nadal told reporters last week. “The ball is super slow and heavy. (There are) very cold, slow conditions.
“I think (it’s) not a good ball to play on clay, honestly. That is my personal opinion. It’s not the right ball to play on clay courts.”
Briton Dan Evans, who lost to Kei Nishikori in five sets in the first round on Sunday, was in agreement with the 12-time French Open champion, saying some of the balls you “wouldn’t give to a dog to chew.”
“I think the balls are the biggest thing,” he said of the challenging conditions, while also acknowledging the cold.
“Maybe they got it a little wrong with the balls. It’s tough to get that ball to go anywhere. It’s in what month, September, October? That ball is a bit too heavy, I think.”
Credit: edition.cnn.com
The post ‘Wouldn’t give to a dog to chew’ : Tennis players complain about French Open balls appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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