As the Italian Open gathers pace, Ukrainian WTA star Elina Svitolina has voiced concerns over the court conditions in Rome, drawing a stark comparison to the facilities at the Madrid Open. The former world No. 3, who is set to face the dangerous Danielle Collins in her next match, did not hold back when assessing the playing surfaces in Rome.
“Compared to Madrid, the courts here are not great — especially the practice courts,” Svitolina remarked in an interview. “Apart from Centre Court, which is in decent shape, all the other match courts are in very poor condition. The surface is uneven, the ball bounces randomly, and you can see this happening in every match.”
Svitolina’s comments echo the sentiments of several players who have quietly voiced frustrations about the inconsistency of the playing conditions in Rome. Despite the prestige of the tournament, the maintenance of outer courts continues to be a talking point. Russian star Daniil Medvedev also spotted a few irregularities on the courts.
“Specially after Madrid like Rome always seems a bit slow because Madrid is altitude plus courts without too much clay like — it’s a good clay but it's not, like when you slide on clay it doesn’t dig holes, but here (in Rome) you slide one time, you literally go with your foot to just make sure you don’t slide at the same space,” said Medvedev in his interview with Tennis Channel.
Svitolina, however looked to brush off the minor inconvenience. “We’re all playing in the same conditions, so you have to adjust,” she acknowledged. “Unlike Madrid, the clay here is much heavier, the courts are really slow, and you have to play differently.”
As players continue to grapple with tough playing surfaces during the clay swing, Svitolina and Medvedev’s assessments shine a light on Rome’s inconsistency when it comes to maintaining their show courts.
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