“The balls are a stone, dangerous to health”, explained last friday Rafael Nadal in a virtual press conference after completing his first training sessions on the clay of Roland Garros. The low temperatures in Paris at this time and the rebranding of balls in the tournament (they are now Wilson) will represent significant new features compared to the rest of the editions, traditionally held in June.
But in a troubled river, more than one wants to make a profit at the most atypical Roland Garros in recent years. It is the case of Daniil Medvedev, who claimed to feel comfortable with the cold and the new balls. “I left Hamburg without bad feelings. I am confident that I can give the best of my tennis here. It is true that there are many players complaining and that they are not satisfied with the conditions in which we will play, but I focus on myself. On clay it benefits me a lot if it is cold, that the ball does not sting much when bouncing. Under those conditions, my flat game can be more effective, just like how are the balls this year, so it is true that it can be an advantage for my tennis and be in front of a good opportunity, “explained the Moscow man at a press conference.
Interestingly, the seed number 4 of the tournament does not know the victory at Roland Garros after three participations (0-3), so he has never made it past the first round in Paris. Possibly, this course does succeed due to his renewed confidence and the particular conditions, although for this he must beat his debut to an uncomfortable rival like the Hungarian Marton Fucsovics. “I like this ball a lot, I feel that it adapts perfectly to my tennis, it can reinforce my playing style a lot. It's difficult to say something like that before having played an official match, I don't know, maybe my feeling will change, but of course , from what I have been able to train, this ball satisfies me enormously “, Medvedev concluded. They are all warned …