Rolex Paris Masters – Medvedev points out the organization: “The indoor is not made to be slow”

“I think the tournament has changed the balls compared to last year, I don’t know why, challenged Medvedev. This year, if you take a good look at the matches and the way they play out, these are super slow courts, especially for Bercy who are supposed to be one of the fastest courts of the year. And by slow, I mean too slow for indoor courts. We already have clay courts, outdoor hard courts which can be slow. The indoor is not meant to be slow. So I don’t know why they are trying to invent things and make these balls. I have no idea, because last year it wasn’t. “

A cry of alarm about the diversity of surfaces

The tirade recalls that of Alexander Bublik at the start of the tournament who said he had the impression of being in the middle of April during the ocher season. If the witticism of the whimsical Kazakh, not known to be the most conscientious and toughest player on the home circuit, has been able to pass to the ace, Medvedev’s words could have more resonance. Especially since the world number 2 is not the type to be reluctant to play long exchanges from the baseline. The problem is therefore more philosophical and the remark sounds like a cry of alarm in the face of a diversity, the essence of tennis, in the process of disappearing.

“All of this put together means that it is sometimes hard to keep up the service. Just like in Indian Wells. We saw it with Novak (Djokovic) too, there were so many breaks in his match (8 in all in his quarterfinal against Taylor Fritz including 3 conceded by the world number 1, Editor’s note). Of course we are talking about his comeback, but he really is a great waiter.“, noted Medvedev.

Less powerful and more at ease on land, Gaston made the most of it

The Russian thinks that this slowness, unnatural in a way, explains his relative inconstancy since the start of the tournament. For him, it also favored Hugo Gaston – who shines it is true more on clay -, which did not prevent him from emphasizing the qualities of the Frenchman. “He can hit the ball hard and he has done it at important times. Its cushioning is now famous, and it’s not easy to always run forward. He is also able to spin the ball well. You never know what he’s about to do, so it’s not easy on the footwork. He is good at the raise, and especially with very slow balls, because he has time to hit them well.. “

Will Medvedev’s cry from the heart be heard by the organization of the tournament next year? Perhaps, so much the opinion of the best players in the world weighs. The offensive player that was Guy Forget, also crowned at Bercy in 1991 under much faster conditions, could be sensitive to it. But the director of the event will certainly not regret the epic of Hugo Gaston and the fervor that accompanied it during this 2021 edition: would it have been possible on a classic indoor? Nothing is less sure.