Controversy has hit the Australian Open as quite a few gamers proceed to complain concerning the tennis balls getting used throughout matches in Melbourne.
Canadian tennis star Felix Auger-Aliassime is the newest to voice his outrage as he confronted the chair umpire concerning the situation of the balls used throughout his match in opposition to Alex Molcan.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Felix Auger-Aliassime complains to the umpire concerning the high quality of the balls.
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Auger-Aliassime approached the chair umpire halfway by means of the third set to vent his frustration.
“I do not need to complain about it however the balls are usually not bouncing,” he stated as he bounced the ball in entrance of the chair umpire, with the ball not bouncing very excessive.
“It is loopy. I imply, we’re hitting regular however I do not know.
“I do not know if it is the batch of cans (that the balls are in), they’re horrible.”
The chair umpire replied with “I agree with you” as he sought clarification from the match referee.
Auger-Aliassime stated his serve was affected by the non-bouncing balls.
“I am bouncing the ball to serve, I do know (that the balls are usually not bouncing). I’ve by no means seen it earlier than,” Auger-Aliassime stated.
Commentator John Fitzgerald stated the roof being shut through the match at Margaret Court docket Enviornment may have one thing to do with the bounce of the ball.
“It is a completely different phenomenon inside right here with the roof closed,” Fitzgerald defined.
“The temperature is cooler and the courtroom floor reacts in a different way.”
Regardless of the drama, the sixth seed roared again from two units all the way down to win the match and progress into the third spherical.
Auger-Aliassime shouldn’t be the primary participant to complain concerning the balls getting used through the match Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal additionally having issues with the Dunlop balls.
“I imply, (the balls are) completely different from final 12 months,” Djokovic informed the media following his first-round win in opposition to Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena.
“The longer you play, the extra rallies you play, the fluffier or the larger the ball turns into, and it is slower.”
Djokovic believes that the fluffier, slower balls are resulting in longer rallies..
“I noticed that (Alexei) Popyrin is enjoying now over 4 hours. (Casper) Ruud performed over three-and-a-half hours. I believe we’re going to see extra of these longer period matches this 12 months than we had perhaps final 12 months,” Djokovic stated.
“One of many greatest causes will most likely be the ball… I do not suppose the velocity of the floor has modified a lot.
“The surface courts are fairly fast. The stadium courts are a bit slower. However the ball is slower. In order that impacts the play.”
Nadal’s principal downside with the balls was that they don’t spin as a lot as he’s used to with the identical Dunlop balls getting used throughout his losses to Alex De Minaur and Cameron Norrie through the United Cup final week.
“They are saying (the balls are) the identical, however the ball is worse high quality, unquestionably,” Nadal stated on the eve of the Australian Open.
“I believe it is a ball that does not get the identical spin as typical.
“After a few hits, the ball loses the strain. It is tougher to hit with the precise spin. However I believe it is simpler to play while you play flatter on the pictures.”
