Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal at odds over Wimbledon surface
They’re arguably the best two tennis players of their generation - but that doesn’t mean Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal see eye to eye on everything.
Though Federer has been the dominant player of the pair at Wimbledon, with Nadal taking the points on clay, the Swiss champion believes something is different about the surface this year.
Despite taking care of Italian chancer Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, Federer said after the match that the surface felt slow.
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He pointed to the fact that Berrettini, well-known for his big serve, only sent down three aces for the match.
“What was I going to say? The guy is serving on average 130 miles and second serve 105 or 110. He gets three aces,” Federer said.
“It’s just slow. Especially tonight, conditions are a bit cooler. I just felt like, you know, it’s not really going through.
“If you’re almost clocking 140 (mph) serves, you should be rewarded a little bit more probably. There is definitely an issue with the speed of the balls or the speed of the courts.
“I think if it would have been faster, then again we would have seen the match that I was expecting with few chances here and there.
“I was just able to maybe outmanoeuvre him with my slice. He couldn’t hurt me enough with his forehand, which I thought was going to be maybe tough to manage today.”
Federer wasn’t the only pro to bring up the suggestions of courts being slower this year - Martina Navratilova agreed on Twitter.
Slow. Very slow. Just look at who is in the round of 16 in the men- so many clay court players... Bounce does get higher and that also slows the game
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) July 7, 2019
Perhaps somewhat tellingly, Nadal said he hadn’t felt any difference in the speed of this year’s surface.
The Spaniard said they felt the same as they had every year since he debuted at Wimbledon in 2003.
“I have been answering this almost every day,” he said.
“I say the same: for me not. I feel I’m here since 2003 playing almost every year.
“For me, tell me I have zero feelings, but that’s all been something that is not the chances like this, it’s not very high. Normally I have feelings.
“Honestly, I don’t think the courts are playing slower today than in 2003 for when I came the first time. Personal feeling and personal opinion.
“Another thing that I say the other day is that sometimes maybe what makes the game little bit slower are the balls. I see normal feelings.”