Tennis news: Rafael Nadal has launched a savage attack on the balls for this year’s Australian Open
Rafael Nadal as he began his Australian Open defence with a savage attack on ... the balls. Find out why he doesn’t like what Dunlop have served up this year.
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Old balls, please!
That is the message from Rafael Nadal as he began his Australian Open defence with a savage attack on Dunlop’s balls for this year’s tournament.
“They say is the same, but the ball is worse quality, without a doubt,” Nadal vented on Saturday.
“We can’t talk about that anymore. It’s what we have. We need to play with it.
“I think it’s a ball that don’t get the same spin as usual.
“After a couple of hits, the ball lose the pressure.
“It’s more difficult to hit with the right spin. But I think it’s easier to play when you play flatter on the shots.
“But I need to live with it. I think I practiced enough with the ball to be ready for it.”
OPEN BOMBSHELL: AUSSIE ACE’S WITHDRAWAL STUNS TENNIS WORLD
The topspin Nadal generates on his crunching forehand has been a trademark of his game and one of the Spaniard’s biggest weapons.
But with lifeless tennis balls he faces a tough ask extracting that same venom.
Nadal’s recent form spiral has been played with Dunlop’s new AO ball as he has dropped matches against Aussie Alex de Minaur and Brit Cameron Norrie in Sydney.
The 36-year-old also fell to Hubert Hurkacz in a practice match last week.
Other players have agreed that this year’s balls are different. Aussie John Millman reckons it could be advantage Nick Kyrgios.
“Having hit with the AO 2023 Dunlop balls the last week my general observation is they are light and quick, especially when new,” Millman tweeted.
“Not the easiest to control initially even in the humid conditions where I am in Brisbane. NK (Kyrgios), Hurkacz, (Taylor) Fritz all very dangerous this AO.”
News Corp asked Tennis Australia how this year’s Australian Open balls were different to last year, but has not received a response.
Is Aussie star right about Nadal and co?
The battle for Grand Slam glory is on for young and old, with 23-year-old Aussie Alex de Minaur declaring the window had opened for the next wave of tennis superstars to take down the ageing legends.
As Rafael Nadal shot down the prospect of rising stars Holger Rune and Carlos Alcaraz matching the feats of ‘The Big Three’ and their 20-plus crowns, De Minaur said last year’s results showed the wheel had turned.
“There’s a very interesting kind of era of tennis coming up with a lot of chances and opportunities,” the No.22 seed who beat 36-year-old Nadal this month said.
“I think it’s already started. If you look back at last year, the results will show that. It’s already started.
“This year’s going to be another chance and another opportunity for many more new players to stamp their authority, put their mark on tennis, and reach the top of the game.
“I want to see myself at the top. I think there’s no secret on that (and) I do believe that I’ve got the level to get there.”
Seven of the top 10 seeds this year are aged 25 or younger and a victory for any of them would result in the youngest men’s singles champion in at least 10 years.
That doesn’t include Carlos Alcaraz, the teenager who claimed last year’s US Open but has withdrawn from Melbourne Park with an abdominal tear.
But while Roger Federer retired in 2022, Nadal won the French Open and Australian Open, Djokovic won Wimbledon and Alcaraz’s victory at Flushing Meadows came after Djokovic was forced to miss that tournament.
However, Casper Ruud made two finals, Nick Kyrgios lost to Djokovic in the final at Queen’s and Russian hot-head Daniil Medvedev pushed Nadal to the brink in the final on Rod Laver Arena almost 12 months ago.
While Djokovic is plotting to extend his Australian Open record to 10 crowns, teenager Rune is looking to become the local slam’s second-youngest champion in the Open era, after Mats Wilander in 1983.
Nadal explained why it was foolish to suggest the next generation would dominate in the same vein as this century’s giants.
“Carlos has one Grand Slam, the others have zero. If we start talking about achieving 22 Grand Slams … I mean, it’s a big deal,” Nadal said.
“That can happen. But at the same time it never happened in the past (so) it will not be easy (for it to) happen two generations in a row.
“That’s just putting the logical perspective on. They are super good, they’re going to have amazing careers, they’re going to win slams, they’re going to win a lot of tournaments.
“But I’m almost sure two players of this generation (are not) going to achieve 20, 21, and 22 Grand Slams.”
Nadal conceded he had been “losing more than usual”.
But the consensus from rivals on Saturday was that he and Djokovic, 35, were going nowhere.
“We still have Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal playing good tennis. They’re still there,” 24-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas, a three-time Australian Open semi-finalist, said.
Kokkinakis finds silver lining in Adelaide heartbreak
– Jason Phelan
If there is a silver lining in Thanasi Kokkinakis’ semi-final defeat at the Adelaide International, it is that he might enjoy greater success at the Australian Open as a result.
The hometown hero’s inspired title defence came to an end with a brave three-set loss to world No. 26 Roberto Bautista Agut at a packed Memorial Drive on Friday night.
The result halted a captivating run by the 26-year-old that included a win over world No. 6 Andrey Rublev, with his big serving, powerful groundstrokes and aggressive approach absorbing to watch.
As much as Kokkinakis adores his hometown tournament, its proximity to his home Grand Slam that kicks off at Melbourne Park on Monday isn’t ideal.
After holding aloft his maiden ATP Tour trophy after Saturday night’s final last year, Kokkinakis had to hotfoot it to Melbourne on Sunday then lost his first-round match against German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann on Monday.
While frustrated to bow out in Adelaide after he bettered the veteran Spaniard in most statistics, Kokkinakis will have the luxury of three days to prepare for Tuesday’s first-round encounter with Italian world No. 57 Fabio Fognini.
“Hopefully I can use those days to an advantage,” Kokkinakis said.
“It’s hard playing every day … I’ve had some battles against good players.
“I’ll use (those) days wisely, get used to the conditions in Melbourne and give it a red-hot crack there.
“Coming from (Adelaide) to the Aussie Open last time, (the courts) were a lot slower, so it took a bit to get used to conditions, but now I’ve got a couple days, so hopefully I can acclimatise and play some good ball.”
Kokkinakis, currently ranked No. 110 in the world, displayed admirable dare and intensity to defeat countryman Alexei Popyrin (ranked 113), Rublev (6) and Miomir Kecmanovic (28) on his way to the semi-final in Adelaide.
His intent is to replicate that form to progress in the singles draw in Melbourne, but he will also renew his partnership with good mate Nick Kyrgios, who he won a surprise Australian Open doubles title with last year.
“We’ll play, but if I told you I think we’re going to defend the title I’d be lying,” Kokkinakis said.
“We only thought about winning it (last year), to be honest, pretty much in the quarters onwards when we were both out of singles.
“We’re going to try and do as well as we can in singles, doubles is a bonus, hopefully our bodies hold up.
“I wasn’t coming into this year thinking I’ve got to defend my doubles title.
“I wasn’t expecting to achieve much in doubles, I don’t feel like I need to do anything more in doubles, I want to build my singles career.”
AUSSIE STAR RUES MISSED CHANCES AS TITLE DEFENCE OVER
Local favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis’ dream of defending his Adelaide International crown is over, but the South Australian lost no fans after his fighting defeat to world No. 26 Roberto Bautista Agut on Friday night.
In the first meeting between the pair, Bautista Agut held his nerve in the face of a furious challenge to win an absorbing semi-final 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-3 at Memorial Drive.
Bautista Agut will face South Korean Soonwoo Kwon in Saturday night’s final, after he overpowered British world No. 40 Jack Draper in the other semi.
The hometown hero was brave, but will be left to rue missed opportunities.
After going down a break early in the third set, Kokkinakis created nine break points of his own – five coming in the fifth game and one in the tense last game – but couldn’t win any of them to level up the decider.
It was a top-quality clash of contrasting styles: the big serving, power hitting and aggression of Kokkinakis versus the patience, precision and ultra-consistency of Bautista Agut.
Kokkinakis described the Spaniard as “a brick wall” in the lead up to the match and it proved an accurate summary.
The result didn’t go his way, but the hometown hero can be proud of the level of play he achieved this week, which augurs well for his Australian Open campaign.
A day after he served 22 aces and slapped down 59 winners in a quarterfinal, Kokkinakis sent down 20 aces to 7 and 51 winners.
The local favourite, currently ranked No. 110 in the world, played with admirable dare and intensity to defeat countryman Alexei Popyrin (ranked 113), Andrey Rublev (6) and Kecmanovic (28) on his way to the semi-final.
In all three wins, Kokkinakis started strongly to take the first set only to lose the second then finish over the top of his opponents in the third.
The South Aussie’s power game rattled opponents early, but the unflappable Spanish veteran absorbed the pressure applied from the other side of the net with apparent ease.
No game went to deuce, let alone break point, before the first set went to a tie-breaker where Bautista Agut hit five winners to land a telling early blow.
But Kokkinakis kept chipping away and created the first break point of the match in the fourth game of the second set.
Bautista Agut saved that one, but his 26-year-old opponent kept coming and broke to love to go up 5-3 then served it to love to set up an enthralling decider.
Kokkinakis had three break points in the first game of the third set but couldn’t convert any of them.
With that disappointment still front of mind, Bautista Agut made his move, creating his first break points of the match and taking the first opportunity to go 2-0 up then serve out.
If there is a silver lining it is that Kokkinakis has an extra day to prepare for Australian Open first-round opponent world No. 57 Fabio Fognini.
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