By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, May 14, 2023
All roads result in Rome.
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The crimson filth highway to the Rome title can pop with potholes.
Reigning Rome champion Novak Djokovic is aware of methods to navigate the cracks, chasms and infamous unhealthy bounces of the Foro Italico. Djokovic has contested 12 Rome finals and says disruptive divots and unruly bounces are a part of the match’s problem.
“I mean, Rome never had a great reputation for the quality of the court, to be honest with you,” Djokovic informed the media after his three-set win over Grigor Dimitrov on Sunday.
So what is the resolution?
How can Rome improve the standard of its crimson clay to decrease unhealthy bounces and replicate Roland Garros and provides gamers supreme preparation for Paris?
World No. 1 Djokovic says there is a easy resolution: Stage an intervention.
Six-time Rome champion Djokovic says name within the clay-court clinicians who take care of Roland Garros’ courts to treatment Rome’s disruptive filth.
“Look, it’s part of the clay court season, so we have to accept the fact that you’re going to have lots of uneven, irregular bounces,” Djokovic mentioned. “In Rome, it has been happening quite a few years.
“Actually I bear in mind possibly about 10 years, somebody informed me they introduced Roland Garros folks in, and that yr the court docket was finest.
“I don’t know why they don’t call them again because obviously they’re the best clay court specialists in the world.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion says he would not blame the Internazaionali BNL d’Italia court docket crew, whom he considers buddies, for the generally uneven clay.
Rather, Djokovic believes lack of constant play to agency up the courts earlier than the match begins might be the perpetrator.
Last yr, Wimbledon broke with a protracted custom and permitted choose gamers to observe on Centre Court earlier than The Championships started in an effort to interrupt within the grass and stop slips and slides some gamers skilled in early rounds.
“That is interesting would be to understand how much tennis they’re playing on the court actually before the tournament starts,” Djokovic informed the media in Rome. “I think the other year I was asking, and they were not playing much at all.
“They performed pre-quallies. If you do not use the court docket, and you’ve got a clay court docket, this stuff occur. The court docket breaks. You have many holes. You have uneven floor, actually unhealthy bounces, a variety of clay.”
Photo credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Source: www.tennisnow.com