Valencia/Basel (povrch Greenset Grand Prix/míče Head ATP) - oba turnaje by v rámci tvrdého boje o hráčskou kvalitu měly opět nabídnout identické podmínky s Turnajem mistrů, tedy medium/medium slow povrch Greenset, který byl letos k vidění už v Kuala Lumpur. Výsledek z tohoto týdne bude důležitý pro hráče, kteří usilují o účast na Turnaji mistrů, jmenovitě Wawrinka, Federer a Gasquet, které dělí pouhých 30 bodů mezi 6. a 8. pozicí (bez odhlášeného Murrayho). Ale protože další v pořadí - Tsonga, který zkusil ve Vídni nastoupit i přes zraněné koleno a Raonic, kterému mise v Stockholmu taktéž záhy skončila, se tento týden na žádném turnaji neobjeví, může být o finálové osmičce pro Turnaj mistrů víceméně rozhodnuto už před pařížským turnajem Masters.
Istanbul (povrch Rebound Ace/míče Wilson US Open) - při obou předešlých ročnících Turnaje mistryň v Istanbulu hráčky zmiňovaly, že je kurt pomalý, že je jeho povrch drsný, míček se do něj zahryzává a není snadné ho tak někam uklidit. Když se pak v takových podmínkách sejdou hráčky, které dovedou velmi dobře bránit, stává se z toho hra na trpělivost. Jen loni byly k vidění tři zápasy trvající přes 3 hodiny.
Letos vypadá Istambul o poznání rychlejší...
OdpovědětVymazatDnešní servefest Sereny by k tomu mohl svádět, ale hráčky se jinak shodují, že to žádný fofr opět není.
VymazatQ. A lot of the players were talking about how slow the court has been here. Do you feel like it makes it harder for you to play your game in terms of keeping the ball low or slices? The slow high bouncing is not ideal?
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA: Yeah, well, I think the courts are always a little bit different on‑‑ the courts are built just a few days before the event.
Definitely it's very slow. Also, the ball, it's getting old very fast because of the surface. That's makes it even slower, because, you know, after one rally the ball is really, really slow.
So, yeah, I think ‑‑ I guess I prefer a bit faster surface.
Q. How did you feel about the conditions out there today? A lot of players have talked about it being very slow, the court, and that the balls get very fluffy very quickly. Do you feel the same way?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, I feel same way, but I think that the first day when I practice on the center court was a little bit slower, so I think that during the week it's getting a little bit faster.
I think that last year it was very similar, maybe same. 2011 was the same way as today.
Q. Because this is the showcase at the end of the women's season, the speed of the court and the quality of the players are obviously very important to the game. What do you think of the speed of the court here, this Championships? Do the players actually have any input into what they think would be the optimum speed of the court to bring the best tennis out at this stage of the season?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't think it's ever been asked by the players, because it more depends, you know, of the quality, not how fast the court is, is overall quality of the stadium that has to fit the standards.
But, you know, I think the court is pretty rough, I would have to say. It's a little bit slow. But that's what we have.
Q. Does the court seem any quicker or slower or anything? The balls this year? Some of the players said it seemed a bit slow for an indoor court.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I guess. You know me. You cannot ask me these questions. I say this every press conference. I will say it's fast when everyone else says it's slow.
But I definitely will say maybe it's slow, but I thought it was slow last year, so every court is slow nowadays.