Controversy in Shanghai: Fritz Denounces "Extremely Slowed Down" Courts

After his hard-fought victory against Fabian Marozsan, Taylor Fritz sounded the alarm: according to him, the Shanghai surface has radically changed and the balls become unplayable after just a few rallies.

Playing conditions in Shanghai are likely to be criticized throughout the tournament. Known for being one of the fastest tournaments of the season, the surface showed a speed index of 32.9 on Friday, a drastic change from last season (40.8).

After his narrow victory over Fabian Marozsan, Taylor Fritz expressed his surprise at the playing conditions and the slowness of the court:

"It's incredibly slow. If I'm honest, it's a very bad change. Last year, the courts were fast according to the speed index but the balls were very slow. I thought the tournament was played at a slightly slower pace, but it was okay.

It wasn't as slow as this. They've slowed down the courts. The balls might not be as slow, but they're still a bit slow. You play three balls after the ball change, they become huge and you can't do anything with them. Not to mention the humidity that slows down the courts too. You feel like the ball is going nowhere."