‘They get fluffy quickly’ – Mats Wilander explains why balls could be behind Australian Open upsets
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Updated 22/01/2023 at 22:20 GMT
Mats Wilander believes the balls could be one explanation for the number of shocks taking place at the 2023 Australian Open. The top two seeds in the men's and women's draws - Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud, Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur - failed to make it into the second week in Melbourne. Wilander believes there could be a technical explanation for a string of upsets at the first Slam of the season.
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The balls being used at the Australian Open could be behind a string of shock results that have seen the top seeds in the men’s and women’s draws suffer early exits, according to Mats Wilander.
The top two seeds in the men’s singles, Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud, were both knocked out in the second round in Melbourne, while another four top-10 players – Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz and Hubert Hurkacz – failed to reach the quarter-finals.
Women’s No.1 Iga Swiatek was eliminated on Sunday by Elena Rybakina, while second seed Ons Jabeur faced elimination in the second round and the likes of Coco Gauff and Maria Sakkari are also out before week two.
According to Eurosport expert and seven-time Grand Slam champion Wilander, the balls could be behind the unpredictable nature of the first major of the 2023 season.
“There’s not a logical reason [for seeds going out] except the faster the game becomes, the less predictable the game will come. Because guys and girls are hitting the ball so hard and they’re all great athletes these days.
“You’re rarely going to win by making somebody tired. Maybe Andy Murray at 35, but finishing that late in the night, it’s going to be tough for anyone.
“Maybe the balls, you’d like to think are heavy meaning they’re soft and they get fluffy very quickly. And when you have a ball that’s lively, the players that might not have that absolute great feel like Novak, Federer or Murray, maybe it takes that part of the game out.
“The game that is played with a little bit of extra spin, a game that is played a little bit higher, sometimes sliced serve, because balls react to the final touch of these geniuses of our sport. But the common player who works really hard might not have the same feel but they get away with it when the balls are heavier and fluffier.
“They’re hitting the ball so hard and anyone can beat anyone these days. It used to be the top 10 but now it’s the top 50 that can beat anyone.”
Former world number two and Eurosport pundit Alex Corretja gave four reasons why so many seeds have dropped out already – including the balls.
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“The first reason, because tennis does not just depend on two or three players anymore. The level of the top 60 is much higher than it used to be,” said Corretja.
“Physically, they are also stronger so they can play longer matches not like before when they only play an hour and drop their level.
“Secondly, that the courts in general are playing a little bit faster, and players make more winners in these conditions and it’s easier to win more points. You can hit easier winners.
“Third, at the beginning of the year, it’s never easy. It’s always tricky because no-one has the rhythm of the competition. Most players have only played one tournament, some not played very well. Most are already tired when they start the Grand Slam so it’s a tricky situation due to your lack of competition or you’re burnt out already. Or, you have some injuries or issues that prevent you from playing as well as you can.
“Finally, I would say the balls feel a little bit dead and many players play a little bit more flat. They don’t make as many mistakes and they can hit as hard as they want. While for the guys or girls that play with a little bit more spin, like Swiatek who has her great topspin forehand, she hits harder on her backhand so she has struggled with that.
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Rafael Nadal
Image credit: Getty Images
“Girls like Sabalenka, this might help her game but she will have a tough match against Bencic but it will be really tough for both of them. Guys like Korda or Khachanov have huge flat backhands when they don’t miss and can hit as hard as they want.
“These are the reasons why I believe many of the seeds are out earlier in the tournament and why there have been so many upsets.”
After a first week that has taught fans to expect the unexpected, Wilander still believes that it’s hard to look past nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in the men’s draw.
“Novak is hitting the ball harder but it’s still not going faster on the other side of the net as it did last year, we’ve proved that scientifically. You hit the ball harder and it comes down 5km per hour slower than last year, but it levels the playing field so I don’t mind it at all. For me, I love upsets, I love new faces, it’s great for the sport and hope people buy into it,” Wilander said.
“It’s Novak’s to lose if he’s healthy, if he’s not I’d say Tsitsipas is probably the threat because he’s been there before a little bit. But then you have guys like Jiri Lehecka - the guy strikes the ball like nobody else.
“Any of these guys can take Novak the distance. In the end, will their legs hold on? He’s 35. I guess you’d say it’s Novak over the field but we’re assuming things that have been going on and it’s very unfair to assume it’s his to lose. He is the best player though for sure.”
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