World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is thrilled with the brand new, quicker surfaces at Indian Wells, believing they go well with her highly effective recreation completely.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz expressed confusion over the change, admitting he does not perceive the reasoning behind it.
Indian Wells, historically identified for its sluggish, gritty onerous courts, has been resurfaced this 12 months by Laykold, the identical firm answerable for the Miami Open and U.S. Open courts, to create extra constant taking part in situations.
“I love them (the courts). They’re a little bit faster, which is good for me, right?” Sabalenka instructed reporters Tuesday.
“It feels good so far. I’ll tell you later after my first match. I hope I’ll still like it,” she added with a smile.
Another huge server, Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, stated she had not seen an enormous change when practising on them.
“I feel that it’s not much faster, but I will say maybe the bounce (is) a little bit lower,” stated Rybakina, the 2023 champion. “The past few days were very windy, and a lot of sun came, so it’s also a bit different, the bounce. But I think the court’s still nice.”
Although the quick courts are supposed to assist larger servers, they may spell hassle for gamers like two-time defending champion Alcaraz, who depends extra on his artistic shot-making than sheer energy.
The Spaniard arrived within the Southern California desert late Monday and stated he had not had an opportunity to check out the courts.
“Honestly, it’s a change that I didn’t understand when I saw it. It was 25 years, the tournament, it was the same court, and then right now has changed. I don’t know the reason why they did it,” he stated.
“I have to practice on it,” he added. “I consider myself a player who adapts very well to my game on the surfaces and all the conditions that you’re playing on.”
Russian Daniil Medvedev, a self-described hard-court specialist who known as the Indian Wells courts “a disgrace” two years in the past, was unimpressed after practising on them.
“It’s OK, I like Indian Wells, I even like the courts now, but they seem to be almost slower than before, very slow,” he stated.
First-round motion begins Wednesday.
Source: www.dailysabah.com