'BALLS WERE A JOKE': ZVEREV RAISES DISPARITY ISSUE AFTER ROME LOSS; DE MINAUR LEAPFROGGED
- Christian Montegan
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
Not only was Alexander Zverev forced to play against a pro-Italian crowd, but the balls were also his enemy as the German crashed out of the Rome Masters.
The German served for the first set up 5-4 40-0 in his quarter-final against Lorenzo Musetti, but couldn't capitalise on four set point chances to fall 6-7(1) 4-6 in a late night finish on Centre Court.
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Match ball consistency has remained a problem for players on the ATP and WTA Tours, with each tournament historically determining its own ball supply or sponsor.
ATP Chairman stated at the beginning of 2024: "Match scheduling and tennis balls are both priority topics on our agenda, together with the WTA. It’s imperative that we evolve and adapt to the demands of the modern game, particularly where player health and fan experience are concerned. We’re optimistic about the impact we can make on both these fronts, now and in the longer term."
Speaking to the media after his ninth defeat in 2025, Zverev blamed the ongoing issue as one of the reasons for his exit.
"Balls were a joke today. Generally speaking, this is a subject we've had over the last three, four years now," the three-time Grand Slam finalist said.
"Players are talking about it all the time. They say we play with the same ball in Monaco, Madrid, Munich. Then we come here, and the ball is totally different. The ball is very, very big. It's very difficult to hit winners here. It's just how it is these days.
"Of course, for me, for my game style, today was not easy because at the end of the day, I'm still somebody that tries to play aggressive. I'm still somebody that tries to serve very fast.
"That's how it is. It's difficult to get free points today."
Meanwhile, Musetti is having the season of his life after reaching three consecutive Masters 1000 semi-finals on clay.
The 23-year-old has overtaken Australia's Alex de Minaur to claim the world No.8 ranking in the live rankings, and Zverev was asked about his vanquisher.
"I think he plays similar when he plays on clay all the time. He depends a lot on defence. He depends a lot on the mistakes from other opponents," he explained.
"Today was difficult for me to hit winners. It was very slow, very, very heavy. The balls were getting very big. Even though I had my chances, I was up three set points, four set points in the first set on my serve. Usually, I should win that set, and then we'll see. Like I said, it was difficult today."
Zverev will drop to world No.3 as a consequence of failing to defend his title in the Italian capital, whilst Musetti will face Carlos Alcaraz in a mouth-watering semi-final showdown.
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