- Ceasefire in Israel-Hezbollah war to take effect
- Egyptian clubs go on scoring sprees in CAF Champions League
- Biden hails Lebanon ceasefire deal as 'good news'
- Brazil's Bolsonaro 'participated' in 2022 coup plot against Lula: police
- Barcelona striker Lewandowski scores 100th Champions League goal
- Autos, food: What are the risks from Trump's tariff threat?
- Alvarez, Correa net braces as Atletico thrash Sparta Prague
- Trump brings back government by social media
- Animal rights activist on FBI 'most wanted terrorist' list arrested
- Netanyahu seeks ceasefire after two months of war in Lebanon
- Trump tariffs threat casts chill over Canada
- Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai's court case a 'show trial': son
- Blinken says Lebanon ceasefire talks 'in final stages'
- Mascherano re-unites with Messi as new coach of Inter Miami
- Real Madrid's Bellingham gone from 'scapegoat' to smiling
- Bangladeshi Hindus protest over leader's arrest, one dead
- Celtic fuelled by Dortmund embarrassment: Rodgers
- Salah driven not distracted by contract deadlock, says Slot
- Algeria holds writer Boualem Sansal on national security charges: lawyer
- Biden proposes huge expansion of weight loss drug access
- Saudi 2025 budget sees lower deficit on spending trims
- Pogba's brother, five others, on trial for blackmailing him
- Prosecutors seek up to 15-year terms for French rape trial defendants
- Emery bids to reverse Villa slump against Juventus
- Carrefour attempts damage control against Brazil 'boycott'
- Namibians heads to the polls wanting change
- Sales of new US homes lowest in around two years: govt
- Paris mayor Hidalgo says to bow out in 2026
- Stocks, dollar mixed on Trump tariff warning
- ICC to decide fate of Pakistan's Champions Trophy on Friday
- Man Utd revenue falls as Champions League absence bites
- Russia vows reply after Ukraine strikes again with US missiles
- Trump threatens trade war on Mexico, Canada, China
- Motta's injury-hit Juve struggling to fire ahead of Villa trip
- Cycling chiefs seek WADA ruling on carbon monoxide use
- Israel pounds Beirut as security cabinet to discuss ceasefire
- Fewest new HIV cases since late 1980s: UNAIDS report
- 4 security forces killed as ex-PM Khan supporters flood Pakistan capital
- Four bodies, four survivors recovered from Egypt Red Sea sinking: governor
- Ayub century helps Pakistan crush Zimbabwe, level series
- French court cracks down on Corsican language use in local assembly
- Russia expels UK diplomat accused of espionage
- Israeli security cabinet to discuss ceasefire as US says deal 'close'
- COP29 president blames rich countries for 'imperfect' deal
- No regrets: Merkel looks back at refugee crisis, Russia ties
- IPL history-maker, 13, who 'came on Earth to play cricket'
- Prosecutors seek up to 12-year terms for French rape trial defendants
- Laos hostel staff detained after backpackers' deaths
- Hong Kong LGBTQ advocate wins posthumous legal victory
- Rod Stewart to play Glastonbury legends slot
RBGPF | 1.33% | 61 | $ | |
RYCEF | 0.44% | 6.8 | $ | |
RIO | -1.53% | 62.03 | $ | |
NGG | -0.68% | 62.83 | $ | |
GSK | -0.38% | 34.02 | $ | |
RELX | 0.51% | 46.81 | $ | |
BTI | 1.01% | 37.71 | $ | |
BP | -1.24% | 28.96 | $ | |
AZN | -0.06% | 66.36 | $ | |
SCS | -1.33% | 13.54 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.65% | 24.57 | $ | |
BCC | -2.76% | 148.41 | $ | |
VOD | -0.56% | 8.86 | $ | |
BCE | -1.46% | 26.63 | $ | |
JRI | -0.98% | 13.24 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.61% | 24.43 | $ |
New balls, please, plead top men's tennis players
The small furry objects that are the focus of every tennis player's energy are spinning the stars at the ATP finals into a fury and leaving them deflated.
"The balls are a big problem", said world No.2 Alexander Zverev.
Many of the top players say all the brands have deteriorated and most dislike playing with different makes of ball from one tournament to the next.
At the ATP finals in Turin, there has not been a press conference at which the subject has not popped up.
The ATP, which runs the men's tour, has had a partnership agreement with Dunlop since 2019 in a deal until 2028.
But the ATP said the Japanese manufacturer's balls are only used "by around half of the tournaments on the circuit," including four Masters 1000 events and these finals.
The four Grand Slam tournaments, which consume over 50,000 balls each year and provide manufacturers with much sought-after exposure, have separate deals.
The Australian Open uses Dunlop, the French Open and US Open have deals with the American manufacturer Wilson, and Wimbledon with the British company Slazenger.
"If you have a stretch of four tournaments in the same continent and they use four different balls, it can be difficult and challenging," said Casper Ruud after his opening victory over Carlos Alcaraz.
- 'The balls die' -
The most outspoken critic is the hot-tempered world No.4 Daniil Medvedev who, recently in Shanghai, pretended to spit on one ball and wipe his backside with another.
"The balls die in air," the Russian said after his victory over Australian Alex De Minaur on Tuesday.
"When I return from five meters back, at the end the ball literally stops, so the guy has time to attack me."
"Everyone can stay in the rally now."
Zverev, who is on the ATP player advisory council, said the pandemic was partly to blame.
"They've gotten a lot slower," The German said on Monday after his victory over Andrey Rublev.
"Because of Covid, the companies tried to cut costs and they're using a different rubber material now. They're using a different material for the tennis balls, which makes the tennis balls between 30 per cent and 60 per cent slower on average."
"They don't last as long, they change from one batch to another, they lint more," he added.
Zverev said it was natural that balls fluff up in the seven games before they are changed but now they deflate.
"The air and the pressure leaves the tennis ball because of the material. The material doesn't keep it inside," he said, adding "the pressure of the tennis ball drops drastically."
- 'Like a shuttlecock' -
He said matches felt a bit like badminton.
"They're a little bit like a shuttlecock. They fly very fast through the air the first two, three meters, then they just slow down. There's nothing that keeps the ball alive, which was very different about five, six years ago," he said.
Zverev also blamed the balls for injuries.
"That's why a lot of players now have elbow issues. A lot of players have wrist issues," he said. "That was not the case about 10, 15 years ago."
Ruud said switching ball brands between tournaments is "the beauty of the game. It's nice because you'll have different winners.'
"If you just stick to one ball, it would be in a way a bit unfair for whoever likes the Tecnifibre ball," Ruud said.
"It will give less chances to a guy who prefers a Wilson over a Dunlop ball."
J.Oliveira--PC