By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, Might 3, 2024
Taylor Fritz slipped out of the Madrid semifinals.
After bowing to Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-3 in at present’s Mutua Madrid Open semifinals, Fritz cited two hindrances that ended his Madrid run.
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First, Rublev’s rocket serve displaced Fritz and arrange the Russian’s fierce first-strike forehand.
Secondly, Fritz could not all the time maintain his toes defending out of the corners.
Afterward, Fritz advised the media in Madrid the Manolo Santana Stadium court docket might use extra clay.
In actual fact, he mentioned typically he might hear the squeal of his sneaker on the laborious floor beneath the pink mud when sliding.
“I imply, I do know for a reality that there’s not as a lot clay on middle than all the opposite courts,” Fritz advised the media in Madrid. “I can actually, after I’m taking little steps, I can hear my toes squeaking as a result of it is hitting the laborious floor beneath the clay.
“I felt each time I used to be form of making an attempt to take an explosive step, which was lots as a result of he was pulling me to date off the court docket along with his serve, I needed to take some fairly aggressive steps to get again into the court docket, I used to be simply slipping lots.”
Final week, Olympic gold-medal champion and Tennis Channel analyst Monica Puig described her days of enjoying in Madrid as if feeling she was “enjoying on a tough court docket with clay on prime.”
Fritz mentioned Manolo Santana Stadium Court docket is “undoubtedly slower and fairly slippery” in comparison with Arantxa Sanchez Stadium.
“I imply, it is usually fairly awkward after I’m shifting, however I felt much more awkward,” Fritz mentioned. “I felt additional awkward shifting at present. I felt like I used to be attending to lots of balls just a bit late or off stability, and it simply wasn’t flowing for me.
“However like I mentioned, he served very nicely and I did not serve so nicely. So it is, you already know, it is one thing I can management.”
Picture credit score: Matthew Calvis