Three-time grand slam winner Iga Swiatek and reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova have joined the refrain of criticism over taking part in circumstances on the WTA Tour’s season finale.
The chief complaints – half of the eight singles gamers have spoken out, and Monday was simply the second day of motion – are that the short-term outside exhausting courtroom in Cancun, constructed atop a golf course, doesn’t enable for stable footing, the balls bounce oddly and the floor wasn’t prepared early sufficient to permit for enough observe earlier than matches started.
After her victory in round-robin play on Sunday, world No.1 and Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka referred to as the circumstances on the season-ending championship “another level of disrespect”.
The WTA defended the courtroom as assembly its “strict performance standards”.
“It’s not a positive thing for any of us,” Swiatek mentioned after defeating Vondrousova 7-6 (7-3) 6-0 on Monday.
“It’s not comfortable, and the fact that we also didn’t have time to practice,” Swiatek mentioned.
Vondrousova was a bit of extra blunt, saying: “The court is, honestly, very bad. It’s very crazy.”
She added that it is “like bad clay or grass courts” and “I don’t think this court is very good for the WTA Finals, to be honest.”
The venue for this 12 months’s WTA Finals was not introduced till final month.
“It’s another level of disrespect from the WTA for the players, because sometimes they don’t even feel safe to move on this court,” Sabalenka mentioned after beating Maria Sakkari 6-0 6-1 on Sunday.
“That’s not the level I expect from the WTA Finals.
“Thank you for this problem I’m going through proper now, to learn to adapt fast to the circumstances. Thank you for that.
“But this is not something I expect from such a high-level tournament.”
Another participant in motion on Sunday, 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, mentioned after her straight-set loss to Jessica Pegula: “I don’t really want to talk (about the court), but of course, it’s not good.
“Everything was late and (there was) no time to repair something.”
Each of the past five editions of the WTA Finals has been held in a different city.
“We’re happy to host the WTA Finals in Cancun for the primary time and labored exhausting to assemble a stadium the place the world’s prime eight ladies’s tennis gamers and doubles groups compete head-to-head,” the tour said in a statement on Monday.
“The crew has labored diligently on an expedited timeline amid climate challenges to make sure the stadium and courtroom meet our strict efficiency requirements.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
